Little Sister
by a-little-bit-enamoured
Summary: Hailey Winston returns to Charming with the intention of staying. She never expected however what she found there. Rated M for language and future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

1/

"Hey big bro!" Opie turned at the sound of the familiar voice behind him.

"Hailey!" Exclaimed the big, bear of a man turning around and scooping his kid sister up into a giant hug.

"What ya doing here?" he asked placing her back down on her feet.

"My car's been playing up. I figured I'd bring it here for you to look at." The young woman answered pushing her sunglasses up into the mess of curls piled atop her head in a messy ponytail, the same mousy auburn brown as her older brothers.

"Long way to come for car troubles." He answered her spying the white canvas duffel bag that had dropped at her feet.

She laughed "So I wanted to see my big brother too!"

He smiled. "Good to see you Kiddo. Go on into the clubhouse and dump your stuff in my room. I'll get changed outta these work clothes and be right there."

"Okay," she smiled. "Still in the same room?"

"Yeah," he answered as she sauntered away. He watched her go.

Hailey Winston was his younger half sister by 9 years. She'd lived with her mother, a sweet butt that Piney had knocked up, until she passed away when Hailey was 12. She'd come to live with Piney after that and had more or less grown up on the Teller Morrow lot. Opie had always been very protective of his younger sister and had spent a lot of time over the years bailing her out of trouble and defending her when she did something stupid that upset one his brothers. He knew they would never hurt her and regarded her as one of their own. He also knew that each of them probably loved her like a sister also but she had certainly made life interesting for them all to say the least. She'd been a rebellious handful of a teenager and had caused a lot of drama in the clubhouse until she moved away when she was 18.

Ope hadn't wanted to let her go but she had insisted she wanted to be out on her own away from the ties of the club. Despite the drama she caused around the lot she had always been a good student with good grades and from an early age had aspired to follow a path in nursing. She'd had her heart set on a college in Seattle, so together with Donna he had convinced her to settle for Tacoma instead so she'd be close to the Tacoma charter should she ever need anything.

He'd felt better knowing that she would still be under the watchful eye of his fellow brothers, especially since he'd ended up inside not long after. She successfully completed her NCLEX-RN and had chosen to specialize in pediatrics. Donna and his brothers had kept him up to date on her progress while he was inside and he was proud of her achievements. She had quite a level head on her shoulders despite the sassy streak that had gotten her into so much trouble as a teenager. She was now a valued employee at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma and had been back to Charming only rarely, most recently being for Donna's memorial. Opie feared something was wrong for her to have shown up unannounced like this.

A shrill wolf whistle greeted Hailey as she entered the clubhouse. "Hi Tig," she yelled over her shoulder as she continued through to the dorm rooms without looking to find where he was.

"Well, look who grew up and got hot." The Sergeant at Arms said to her when she came back out. He was seated on the couch, smoking a cigarette, Happy across from him.

"Look who's still an unashamed pervert." She responded without hesitation as she moved past the bar towards them. He laughed "Still got that sassy wit too I see?"

"Always." She smiled taking a seat in the armchair next to him. "Got one of those for me?" She asked motioning towards the cigarette in his mouth. "Since when do you smoke?" He asked placing one between her lips and lighting it for her.

"Since I grew up and realized there's more to life than being a bratty teenager." She answered after taking a long draw of it.

"You sure as hell aren't a bratty teenager anymore." He said looking her up and down. "Get a load of you." He said approvingly.

"Geez tame that snake in your pants Tiggy" she laughed. "You act like you didn't realize I was legal!"

"Oh I know you're legal Baby. You just weren't parading those delicious legs around last time you were here Doll. So how 'bout my offer? Still waitin' for you to share my bed sometime."

"You know that's never gonna happen Tiggy, so you'd best keep dreaming about it." She laughed.

Happy scowled across from her seemingly disapproving of their exchange of words. He had only recently been spending more time in Charming, providing more manpower to the Redwood charter while Chibs was recovering from a near fatal accident. He hadn't been around too much when she was younger. He'd heard stories of the mayhem she had caused though and had reluctantly agreed to keep an eye on her for Opie when she had moved up to Seattle. It was his frequent comings and goings between the two charters and his proven loyalty that had earned him the job. There had never been any love lost between them. She resented having him watch out for her and he disliked having to do it. He thought her a bratty little bitch that had grown up with all these grown men wrapped around her little finger. The few times he had visited Charming while she was there he'd been disgusted at the sort of things she got up to yet they still treated her like she was a frigging glorified Samcro little princess. When she had come back for Donna's memorial he'd ripped into her about it. She'd dished out as good as he gave her and they hadn't spoken since.

She raised her left eyebrow at him when she caught sight of his scowl. "Still hate me Hap?"

"You've never given me a reason not to." He answered in his deep gravelly voice.

"Awesome. Good to know." She said with no sincerity.

"Still a sarcastic little bitch too?" He asked, the unamused scowl on his face never wavering.

"Of course. Wouldn't want to disappoint you now would I?" She smirked.

"What you want this time?"

"Who says I want anything?"

"Only time you ever come back here is when you want something. Big bad world getting too much for you now that I'm not up in Tacoma babysitting you Princess?"

"Fuck off. It's not like you had to tail me everywhere. All you have to do is report back to Opie that I'm still alive occasionally."

"So you got no one up there doing that now? Had to come back and lap up some princess treatment?"

"Fuck you Happy."

"Knock it off you two!" Opie said entering through the clubhouse door. "Didn't you ever listen to your mothers growing up?"

"Guess the gash she called a mother never taught her to keep her trap shut before she died." Happy said just loud enough for her to hear.

"You did not just fucking say that." Hailey growled launching at him. Her nails scratched down his cheek before Tig pulled her off him.

"Cool it Hailz." He said pinning her arms to her sides.

"Get the crazy little bitch away from me." Happy growled putting his hand to the blood that trickled down his cheek.

"Come on Hailz. Let's go outside." Opie said heading towards the door. Tig loosened his grip on her arms. "Can I trust you not to give him a matching scar on the other cheek?" he asked.

"Yes" she scowled. "Bastard deserves one though!" she added shrugging Tig's hands off her and stalking towards the door Opie held open for her.

"Just lay off the dead mother shit okay. You know it's always been a sore point for her." She heard Tig say before he followed her out. She smirked at the way Happy looked like he'd just been cut down.

"Why can't you and Happy just be civil to each other Hailey?" Opie asked when they were outside.

"He's an asshole. That's why." She responded as she sat on one of the picnic table seats.

"Maybe if you didn't run your mouth off at him, he mightn't be?" Opie asked.

"He gives as good as he gets back from her." Tig defended her as he sat on the other table across from them.

Opie sighed. "Just stay away from him then."

"Done." Hailey sneered as Happy came out walking straight past them towards his bike.

"So I took a look at your car. It's only a minor fix. Why are you really here?" Opie asked his sister.

"Can't a girl come visit her brother without an ulterior motive? Geez." She snapped.

"Hey. Don't start in on me. You don't often come down unannounced if you know what I mean?"

"I'm fine Ope. It's just getting close to my Mom's anniversary and I guess I was a little homesick." She admitted.

"Is Dad about?" she asked steering the conversation away from herself.

"He's been up at the cabin the last few days." Opie answered.

"He on a bender? What's his excuse this time?" She asked.

"Does he need one?" Tig asked her.

"Not usually no," she sighed as two Harley's sped through the gate into the lot. Jax and Bobby got off them and didn't look ahead as they walked towards the clubhouse, deep in conversation.

"Ok, Jax." They heard Bobby say, as he slapped the younger man on the back before he looked towards the tables in front of them both.

"Hailey!" the big bear of a man bellowed when he saw her. "C'mere and give me some sugar sweet thing!" he said sweeping her off her feet in a friendly embrace.

"Hey Bobby!" She laughed as he put her down.

Hailey smiled as Jax placed an arm around her shoulders pulling her towards him. "Heya Hailz!" he greeted her, kissing the top of her head.

"Miss me huh?" she said smiling. She'd forgotten how much she loved these men. They'd all put up with a lot of shit from her and yet they still treated her like a loved younger sister.

"Always good to see ya Kiddo!" Jax answered her.

"How's Chibby doing?" Tig asked from behind her.

"He's doing alright. Should be out in a couple of days." Jax answered.

"What brings you this far south Sweetheart?" Bobby asked as he removed his riding gloves and placed them in the pocket of his cut.

"Nothing really. Just felt like coming down and seeing how my big brother here is doing. He just happens to hang around with a bunch of badass bikers."

"Admit it you just can't stay away from us can ya Doll?" Tig teased. She smiled loving being back here amongst them all once again.

"Where's Happy at?" Jax asked.

"Took off when Miss Trouble here gave him a nasty scratch with her claws." Tig said nodding his head toward Hailey.

"You two lay into each other again Hailz?" Jax asked of the girl he considered just as much his sister as she was Opie's.

"He started it." She answered him scowling.

"Did ya seriously scratch 'im, Sweetheart?" Bobby asked.

"She sure did. Tig had to pull her off him." Opie answered when Hailey didn't respond. If there was one thing she hated these days, it was disappointing these guys and she was beginning to feel like a little kid being told off by them.

"Never been any love lost between the two of ya, has there?" Bobby stated rather than asked.

"What did he say this time that made you lose your shit?" Jax asked.

"It doesn't matter," Hailey sulked.

"C'mon Kiddo. Quit ya sulking. None of us blame you. Happy gives as good as he gets back from you. Difference is he'd never physically hurt you." Jax said placing his arm around Hailey's shoulder.

"I'm sure he wishes he could sometimes." She answered.

"Maybe." Jax responded before changing the subject. "How long ya stickin' round for?"

"Not sure. A few days, maybe a week." Hailey answered as she looked up and saw a young, not too bad looking Prospect approaching.

"Who's the prospect?" She asked.

"Half Sac." Tig answered. "He was around at Donna's funeral."

"Guess I wasn't really paying attention then." She said as she raised her eyebrows in a curious questioning look. "Do I wanna know about the name?" She asked the young man.

"Well you see in Iraq …" he began.

"Nah, Doll you don't." Tig interrupted.

Half Sac scowled somewhat before quickly recovering to ask. "So who's this lovely little piece of ass?"

"She'd be my sister." Opie answered.

"Oh Shit Sorry Ope. I didn't mean anything by it I just meant she's yeah well never mind."

"How 'bout you go clean the toilet Sac? Piney's been at it again." Tig ordered him.

"Ah shit? Really?" He said rolling his eyes as he went inside.

Hailey giggled. "Is he always like that? So bumbling and nervous around girls?"

"Yeah. He said Gemma gave him a Milf Chubby a few weeks back." Tig relayed to her. Hailey howled with laughter as he continued. "Numb nut didn't realize Clay was right behind him."

"What'd Clay do?" Hailey asked.

"Banged the sweet butt that he had his eye on when we were up in the Indian Hills." Tig said.

"Anyways it's Friday. Ya know what that's means round 'ere!" Bobby declared.

"Yay. I can hardly wait." She answered knowing he was referring to their regular end of week bash that consisted of them all getting completely wasted and having their dicks sucked and egos stroked by the crow eaters. She'd referred to them as Pussy Parties when she'd lived in Charming and had usually made a point of staying away from them whenever she was back in town.

"C'mon. You know you love 'em Doll. Maybe with a little booze in ya, you and Happy could make friends." Tig said.

"Ha. Don't hold your breath on that one." Came that gravelly voice from behind Tig's shoulder. No one had noticed him come back.

"Don't worry Hap I'm not holding out any high hopes on that one either." Hailey said with an actually genuine smile on her face. She saw the corner of his mouth lift ever so slightly as he almost smiled back.

"Well I'm heading inside for a drink." Tig announced. "Coming with me Doll?" He asked Hailey.

"It's only 2pm." She responded.

"Never too early round here. Besides you look like you could do with one." He said grabbing her hand and pulling her up towards him. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he led her back into the clubhouse.

"Get your hand off my ass Tig." She heard the rest of them snigger behind her.

"Sorry. Couldn't help myself. It's such as sweet ass, Doll." He said letting the door swing shut behind them.

"Why thank you." She replied sarcastically. He walked across to the bar and poured them both a shot of whiskey.

"They both for you?" She asked turning her nose up at the amber liquid.

"I forgot you hate this stuff. Still a vodka girl?"

"Yep. Remember how I like it made?"

"How could I forget? You poured it over my head the first and only time I stuffed it up." He said reaching behind the bar for a bottle of vodka.

She chuckled. "Yeah, I did didn't I?"

"Aha." He smiled back at her his hands busy at work preparing her drink. "Despite being a little shit of a kid you've turned out okay Hailz." He said sliding her drink across to her.

"Thanks Tiggy." She took a sip from her glass. He held his hands up above his head in mock protection of his hair. She laughed. "It's okay Tiggy. I'm not that little shit anymore besides you make a pretty good vodka, lime and soda these days."

He took his hands down and smiled back at her before sitting on the barstool next to her.

"So why are you really here, Hailey?" he asked.

"I told you and Ope before. I was homesick."

"And you know I've always seen straight through the crap you spin to protect Opie."

She sighed. Growing up on the lot Tig had always seen right through her bullshit. "You know I really didn't miss that."

"Does it have something to do with that shithead boyfriend of yours?"

Hailey sighed, "I left him."

"Jesus Hailey. Remember the shit storm you caused last time you were running from him?"

"Yeah but this time I'm done. I'm not going back Tig." She blinked and turned away from him trying to hide the tears creeping into the corner of her steel blue eyes, but too late. He'd already seen them but let it go.

He sighed. "So you plan on sticking around here then? What about your job?"

"I've been planning this. I resigned two weeks ago and planned to leave earlier but he … he stopped me." She wiped away a tear that threatened to spill down her cheek.

"Shit Hailz. You love that job. What the hell did he do to you?" Tig asked her.

"Nothing you need to know about." She said wiping her eyes. "I left as soon he was passed out drunk last night, hid his keys too."

"Last night? Shit Hailey. You musta driven all night."

She just nodded.

"What the fuck did he do to you Hailz?" he pressed.

"I'm not gonna tell you Tig." She said stubbornly.

"Fine. Just know that if he turns up here again I'm not responsible for what might happen to him."

"You can kill him for all I care. I know you're good at that."

He sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Anyone that hurts you is gonna have every one of us make him rethink it. Even Happy."

"Yeah right. Happy would be his cheer squad."

"He means well Doll. He just thinks you're a little spoiled by us all. Why don't you cut him some slack? Go easy on him?"

"Only if he does the same."

Tig frowned. He knew Hailey and Happy would never get along. He just wished they'd agree to disagree and stop tearing each other down.

"So you gonna make tracks to somewhere else or you plan on sticking around here?"

"I'm not sure yet, maybe here."

"We'd all love to have you stay," he said stroking a hand down her thigh. "Especially me …"

She slapped his hand away. "You're never gonna get into my pants Tig." She said casting a half amused smile at him.

"Can't blame a man for trying."

She laughed. She'd always liked Tig and had been left in his care quite a lot when she'd been growing up on the lot. He may have been a twisted and somewhat depraved individual but he had always had a soft spot for her as a young girl and had constantly hit on her once she was legal. Their friendship was purely platonic but not devoid of flirtatious banter and sexual innuendo.

"You know you should probably tell Ope that you're planning on sticking around."

"Yeah, I guess. But then I've gotta tell him why."

"He'll be as glad as I am that you've left that shithead. C'mon let's clear out of here. Dinner prep is here" He said as a couple of crow eaters came into the clubhouse.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Wow. Thanks for all the reviews and follows overnight. I wasn't planning on updating so quickly but seen as I have a bank of near 30 chapters already written I figured I would. Not all of those chapters are finished and there are some still to be written in between so not all updates will be as quick as this one. Also my laptop is absolutely archaic and takes forever to do anything so you may have to bear with me at times.**

2/

Hailey sat beside Tara at the bar taking in the scene around her. Tara usually avoided the clubs Friday night shenanigans also but on hearing that Hailey was back in town she had made an appearance.

"How long you down for?" Tara asked the younger girl.

"Not sure. I'm thinking I might stick around, maybe even move back to Charming."

"Really? I thought you hated it here."

"I did growing up but it gets kinda lonely up in Tacoma all on my own. The only family I've ever known is here." Hailey looked around the room and noticed Opie and Lyla looking surprisingly cozy together on a couch over by the pool table.

"They look happy." She changed the subject.

"Yeah. I guess she's been kinda good for him." Tara sighed.

"You don't like her much do you?"

"I just don't really approve of her career choice."

"We can't all be the doctors and nurses of the world Tara."

The older woman smiled. "I suppose not. Hey if you're sticking around do you want me to put in a good word for you at the hospital?"

"Yeah maybe. I'll let you know. Thanks Tara."

"I think I'm gonna head home and leave these guys to get their rocks off without having to bear witness to it."

"Yeah. Nothing quite like a good pussy party is there?" Hailey said sarcastically. Tara laughed loudly.

"I forgot that was what you used to call them!" She giggled. "You got somewhere to stay?" she asked.

"Yeah, Ope said I could crash here in his dorm room."

"Okay. Lock your door. You don't want any surprise visits from Tig during the night." She said as she picked up her keys and bag from off the bar next to her.

"Good point. I'll be sure to do that."

"Nice seeing you again Hailey." Tara said as she readied to leave. "I hope you do decide to stick around. It'd be good to have some other female company around aside from Gemma and the porn star."

"Yeah, I'll bet. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Gemma's throwing family dinner to welcome me home."

"Of course she is. See you tomorrow then."

She waved over her shoulder as Hailey went towards the kitchen to make a cup of tea before calling it a night.

"So you're thinking of staying?" That deep gravelly voice she dreaded hearing asked from behind her as she filled the kettle.

"Maybe. Been eavesdropping have you?"

He gave a small guffaw "Hardly. Heard Doc saying goodbye to you. Got better things to do than eavesdrop on the conversation of a couple of birds."

"What like get your dick sucked and your ego stroked?'

"You're a crass little bitch ain't you?"

"What's the matter Happy? Don't like hearing the truth?"

He raised one eyebrow at her and gave a slight smirk. "You know I don't know what it is they all see in you. All I see is a selfish little bitch that runs home the second life gets too hard."

"What would you know about my life getting too hard Happy?"

"More than you think Princess. I've spent the last five years babysitting you up there remember?"

"You weren't fucking babysitting me."

"Close enough to see how that useless waist of space you call a boyfriend treats you."

"Where's this headed Happy?"

"You come back to get them to do your dirty work again? Scare the shit out of him so he doesn't hurt you for a while?"

"Fuck you Happy. I came back to see my family."

"Keep telling yourself that Princess."

"You know what Happy. I really don't give a shit what you think."

"Well you'd better start Princess." He said with a menacing stare that she imagined was probably the last thing the people he'd killed had seen. "I live down here now. I may not be able to hurt you the way you did me today with those fucking claws of yours but don't for a second think that I don't want to sometimes."

"You don't scare me Happy." She responded.

"Well I should Princess. You're treading a dangerous path when you piss me off."

"Stop fucking calling me Princess!" She growled as she moved to go past him to Ope's room. He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back. His grip was tight and hurt her but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that. "I'll stop calling you Princess when you stop acting like one." He growled back throwing her wrist away from him as he stalked out of the kitchen back towards the main room.

She shook her head watching his back as he stalked away towards a pretty little buxom blonde croweater. She didn't think she'd ever figure that man out. She went down the hallway towards Opie's room and locked the door behind her, not just for Tara's joking warning about Tig earlier. She wouldn't have been at all surprised if Happy tried to murder her in her sleep.

She lay down on the bed not bothering to get changed out of her clothes just yet and thought about her latest encounter with Happy.

She awoke fully dressed a few hours later. She looked across to the alarm clock beside the bed. It was just after 3am. She hadn't intended on falling asleep fully clothed and supposed she had been more tired than she'd thought. She had driven the 12 hours from Tacoma straight through overnight only stopping for gas.

Her room felt stuffy and hot as she stretched her arms above her head. She decided to go sit outside and get some fresh air, expecting that everyone would all be passed out drunk and satisfied by now. She surveyed the room before her as she padded down the hallway towards it. Tig was passed out on the bar the buxom blonde she'd seen Happy with earlier, on top of him. Bobby was passed out on the pool table with two crow eaters draped across each arm. Juice lay across one of the couches on his own, snoring like a freight train. She guessed some things never changed as a sense of déjà vu washed over her. She'd surveyed this scene many times before. But low and behold there was something different. Sitting on the other couch across from Juice was Happy, wide awake and cleaning his gun.

"Do you ever sleep?" she asked when he glanced up and saw her watching him.

"Not much." Came his gruff response.

"Getting that ready for something?" She asked meaning the gun.

"Why? You feeling nervous?" he smirked.

She smirked back. "Like you said before, you can't touch me. All these men would ram your balls so far up your ass you'd never walk again!"

"That's lucky for you then isn't it?" He said in a low somewhat menacing voice.

"Yeah. I guess it is."

"Did you want something Princess?"

She scowled at his continued use of the nickname that she hated. "Nah. I'm going outside. This place stinks." She said heading for the door. She felt his menacing glare follow her until the door closed behind her.

The motion sensor light flicked on as she stepped out of the clubhouse. The night air was cool and pleasant compared to the stagnant smell of lingering cigarette smoke and sex inside the clubroom. She started to head towards the tables when she heard a movement at her side, like a shuffle of steps.

"Is anyone there?" She called as she tried to think if there were any of the guys that could be out here. Jax, Opie and Clay would all be home and she knew she'd seen all the others inside in varying states of slumber, aside from Happy, the ever present thorn in her side.

She was just about to call out again when she felt her body, slammed up against the clubhouse wall. She squealed in both shock and fright as a hand closed around her neck.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find you here?" His voice was low and frightening. It lacked the menacing tone that Happy's had held earlier but invoked more fear in her than his ever would.

"Joel." She gasped barely able to speak for his grip around her neck. He loosened his grasp and pinned her shoulders back against the wall allowing her to speak.

"Please, Joel let me go. You're hurting me." She said as his fists pressed painfully into her shoulders.

"You know you're never allowed to leave me sweetheart, so why do you keep trying?" He whispered in that cold, frightening voice.

"Joel. It's over. I don't want to be with you anymore. Please, just understand that." She whimpered.

He gathered her tightly in his arms and pressed his lips bruisingly against hers. She squealed and tried to wriggle her way out of his grasp. "Joel. Stop!" She screamed hoping that Happy would hear.

He gripped her wrists hard as she tried desperately to claw her way out of his vice like grasp. "Stop!" He growled slapping her cheek. He pulled her to him and held her tight to him as he dragged her from the wall over to one of the tables. She screamed as loudly as she could muster given the air being pushed out of her lungs by how hard he was holding her and managed to kick her foot out against the clubhouse door making it bang open and then shut abruptly.

_Please hear that Happy. Please, help me! _She pleaded in her head as Joel slammed her hard against the picnic table and clawed at the top of her cut off shorts trying to pull them off.

"Little biker slut! Shut up!" She felt the sharp sting of his hand across her cheek again.

"You're fucking him aren't ya? The one that follows you everywhere?" he growled at her pressing his weight against her as he started to undo his belt buckle.

"No Joel. I'm not. I swear I'm not."

"Bullshit. You're mine baby." He crooned in that quiet and frightening voice. "You don't belong here. You should be back in Tacoma with me." His hand clapped over her mouth as she tried to protest. Tears of fear began to stream down her cheeks as she felt him slide his other hand down into her underwear.

"You'll never get her back treating her like that."

Hailey had never been so grateful to hear that gravelly voice as the weight pressing against her was lifted. Happy had pulled him off her by the hood of his jacket. Hailey gasped finally able to breathe and swiped her tears away with the back of her hand before quickly hitching her shorts back up as she watched Happy throw him backwards against the picnic table opposite her. Joel flailed backwards and scrambled to stand before Happy's fist came flying at him and connected with his jaw. He went flailing backward again before Happy gripped him around the throat and came at him again, this time connecting with his right eye. He pinned his back against the table as he scrambled to his feet a second time.

"Now I think the lady made it quite clear that she'd like you to leave her alone. Am I correct Hailey?" She nodded, trembling and let out a meek little "Yes," not missing that he'd called her by her name.

"You heard her shithead," Happy growled, "Now clear off and don't come back here again unless you wanna leave in a body bag. Am I clear?"

Joel gasped and nodded as he tried to pry Happy's hand off his neck. Happy released his grip and let him drop to the ground. He scrambled up and around the table. He risked a glance back towards Hailey but instead met the menacing deathly stare of Happy which made him scramble away faster.

"Are you okay?" Happy asked turning his attention to her.

"Yeah. I think so." She whispered trying to compose herself. She knew Happy was dangerous and she knew that he had a collection of happy face tattoos on his torso, even though she'd never laid eyes on them, representative of the number of people he'd killed, but she had never actually seen him in action like that. She had to admit he was frightening.

"Thought you weren't running this time?" He asked.

"I never intended for him to follow me." She said quietly.

"But you knew he probably would." He stated his tone almost concerned, not menacing at all.

"I guess I feel safer here than anywhere else. Yeah I knew he'd follow me." She admitted looking across at Happy who sat on the picnic table across from her. For once he wasn't growling at her, threatening her or insulting her. She wasn't quite sure how to take him. "Thanks," She whispered.

"Ready to admit you need me to babysit you?" He smirked, the belligerent Happy she was used to beginning to reemerge.

She smiled. This Happy she could deal with. "Nah. Don't think I'll ever admit that. But I'm tired Hap, and I'm not looking for a fight right now."

"Well that's a disappointment." He smirked, the corner of his mouth lifting into half a smile.

"Sorry to disappoint but seriously thanks Happy. I'm going back to bed." She said sliding off the table she was seated on and making her way back inside. "Oh and Happy please don't tell the others about this. Especially not Opie"

"Sure. Our little secret." He smirked.

"Thanks. Well goodnight I guess."

"Night Princess." She heard him say mockingly as the door swung shut behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This should have gone on the top of my first chapter but didn't for some reason. I do not own sons of Anarchy or its characters. I do however own Hailey and any other upcoming OC's**

After her run in with Joel and subsequent rescue by Happy, Hailey began to feel that maybe she was ready to stay in Charming. She sat out in the lot the following morning and listened to all that was going on around her. It brought a smile to her face. She especially loved hearing the coming and going of the guys on their bikes whenever she was out in the lot. It reminded her of her childhood when she would visit with her father in the summer, before her mother got sick, before she'd died. Running around that lot chasing after Opie and Jax, hearing the guys roll in and out on their beloved Harleys. She remembered especially that she used to look out for Tig coming back in. She'd had a bit of a childhood crush on him back when she was around ten. She smiled at that memory. Tig was certainly the one she still had the biggest soft spot for. Chibs and Jax had always been more like extra older brothers to her due to their closeness to Opie, but Tig had been more like a confidant, disconnected from the whole brotherly thing, a friend who in her teenage years was often the only one who could get through to her.

Life had seemed so simple, so carefree back then. When she'd come back to live there it had all changed. She was no longer the carefree innocent girl she had been the previous summer. She was bitter and angry and growing quickly into a rebellious teenager who had witnessed far too much pain in her short life. She'd had a short fuse and a hot temper that used to get her into far too much trouble. Piney had quite quickly declared he was too old to put up with teenage angst and bullshit so much of her upbringing had fallen to Opie and later Donna. The time away these past few years had allowed her to discover who she was outside of Charming and the painful memories living there had brought with it. She'd discovered her passion for helping people and had put it to good use by studying to become a nurse. But she had to admit, if only to herself, that Happy was right she did come running home when it all got too tough. Home. She was fast beginning to discover that Charming was where home was.

"So Hailz, word is you're sticking around this time." Opie addressed his sister as he watched her take a long draw of the cigarette that was in her hand. She took a deep breath before answering. This was the conversation she'd been dreading having with her older brother. Having had such a large hand in raising her through her adolescence she dreaded him bringing out the _I told ya so's_ which he was always prone to do.

"Yeah. I'm kinda thinking I might stick around. Tara said she'd put in a good word for me at the hospital." She said quickly almost all in one breath.

"That's great Lil Sis. So you ready to tell me why ya really came back?"

Hailey sighed and looked away. Still not ready to tell her brother what she knew would result in a huge ear chewing of _I told ya so's_ and the one she hated the most _I sure am glad Happy was watching you up there._ "Come on Hailz. That hunka metal you call a car is running like a dream again and there was nothing really major wrong with it anyway. We both know that wasn't the reason you came down and we both sure as hell know there is a reason you've decided to stay."

"I left Joel." She said reluctantly. "For good this time." She glanced across to the bar where, Happy the only other person sharing the clubroom with them, was sitting a large glass of whisky in front of him. She suspected despite his coyness that he was listening in to the conversation taking place between herself and her brother.

"Ah … well that certainly explains you turning up here unannounced. Did he hurt you?" Opie asked concerned for his younger sister.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No." she lied. "I guess I just finally realized what you've been telling me all along."

"Well I guess I don't need to say I told ya so?" he smiled somewhat sadly.

"No Ope. I don't need to hear it."

Opie sighed. "Did you make it clear to him this time? Or is he gonna turn up here looking for you?"

Hailey stole a quick glance across the room and saw the raised eyebrow of Happy staring in her direction. "Yeah I hope I did. Something tells me I won't be seeing him around here anytime soon though." She said letting a small smirk of a smile creep to the corner of her mouth as she glanced across the room again. A dark and menacing, belligerent look was now in Happy's eyes as he met her gaze. She knew another sharp exchange of words would be on the cards between them soon.

Opie gave her a questioning look at her remark. "Never mind Ope. I think I made it pretty clear this time. That's all I meant." Hailey said.

"Well just as well you're back here. I was worried about you once Hap started helping out down here."

"Geez Ope. I'm 23 years old! I can take care of myself without some badass biker watching my every move! That's not why I came here! I could have gone anywhere you know!"

"Cool it Hailz. I know. I missed your ass too!" Opie said.

She slapped him playfully on the arm.

"So what's up with you lately Ope?"

"How do you mean?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed how little time you're spending with the kids lately."

"Mom's taking care of them while I sort some stuff out."

"And we both know how well Mary copes with kids or is this second time lucky for her?"

"C'mon Hailz cut her some slack."

"Why? She bailed on you as a kid and left Dad to raise you."

"She's doing the best she can Hailey."

"And what about you? Bailing on your kids when they need you the most? Is that your way of doing the best you can?"

"Hailey for Christ sake," he sighed trailing off knowing that her words were true. "There's a lot of shit going on around here lately."

"They need you Ope and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll realize that you need them too." She pressed ignoring his statement.

"Hailey just let me handle things my way okay?" he said stubbornly.

"Fine."

"And just so you know Kiddo I'm bringing the kids and Lyla to dinner tonight. That make you happy?" he said as he rose from his spot across from her.

"Yeah it does Ope." She smiled.

"Well as good as this chat has been Lil Sis, I gotta get to work or Gemma will rip me a new one."

"Speaking of ripping a new one." Hailey said as he walked out the door. Opie turned and noticed Happy moving from his spot at the bar. "Jesus Christ like I need you two going at it. Just don't kill each other." He said turning his back on the pair.

"What makes you all high and mighty, telling him how to handle his shit?" Happy wasted no time starting in on her.

"I'm his sister Hap. I'm worried about him. The kids too."

"Can't even handle your own shit. Don't go getting messed up in his."

"Fuck Happy. It's called advice! You should listen to some sometime! Like mind your own fucking business!"

"Why'd you lie to him?" Happy changed the subject.

"Huh? About what?"

"Joel didn't hurt you? He hasn't shown up here?"

Hailey sighed. "There's some things my brother doesn't need to know Happy."

"What woulda happened if I hadn't been around last night? You wouldn't have been having the same conversation would ya?"

"No Hap. I wouldn't have and I already thanked you for that." She said trying hard to keep her tone even and not take his bait like Tig had advised.

"It's not about Thanks Princess. It's about you always running back home when you need me to do your dirty work."

"Hey. You weren't even here the last time."

"I may not have been but who followed your ass back last time?"

"I didn't ask you to do that."

"No but it was expected of me since I'd been tasked to watch you. And we both know if I hadn't he'd have killed you along the way. Or had you forgotten that?"

She sighed. "No Happy. I haven't forgotten. Seems I'm forever in your debt." She couldn't help the sarcastic tone that had crept into her voice.

"Forever the ungrateful little Princess. Born into Samcro with all them wrapped around your little finger to take care of you when things go wrong."

"Fuck Hap. You just can't help yourself can you? You always have to lay into me don't ya?"

"You never give me a reason not to."

"Geez Hap. What do you want me to do? Spend my life thanking you every day for saving my ass all the time? Or perhaps you'd prefer it if I sucked your cock?"

"You offering Princess?" he smirked.

"Only if you want it bitten off." She replied snidely.

"I have no doubt you would snarky little gash."

"You did not just call me that!" Hailey replied indignantly. "Opie would string you up by your balls if he'd heard that!"

"Good thing he didn't then eh?"

Hailey glowered at him.

"What got no snarky comeback? You disappoint Princess."

"Will you stop fucking calling me that?!" Hailey fumed at him as Piney entered the clubroom.

"Now I know why I stay away from this joint." The old man lamented.

"Hey Old Man." Happy greeted him. "Your daughters back." He added glaring at Hailey.

"So I heard."

"Hey Pop." Hailey greeted her father. "What brought you out of hermitage?"

"Ran out of the good stuff" he answered making his way to the bar to fetch a tequila bottle.

"You two hitting the sack together yet?" He asked the pair.

"Geez Pop! Like we ever would!"

"Me and your mother Hail, we started out the same way. Just ask anyone that was around here 25 years ago."

"Seriously?" She asked skeptically but glanced across to Happy who was still glowering at her.

"Relax Princess. You ain't ever getting in my pants." He snarked as he stalked away to the door.

"Don't be so sure of that." Piney called after him.

"Geez Old Man, I see where she gets it from and I'm not talking about her looks." He let the clubhouse door slam after him.

"Seriously Pop? Hap and I will never end up between the sheets together."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Why you back anyway?"

"I left Joel."

"About fucking time. So when you going back?"

"I'm not."

"What about your job?"

"I resigned. I'm staying in Charming."

"Oh hallelujah, both my stubborn ass brats in the same town." Piney lamented as he poured himself what Hailey had counted as the third glass of tequila.

"You coming to Gemma's dinner tonight?"

Piney almost snorted. "Don't think I have the energy to play happy families."

"Opie was right. You are a grumpy old man these days." She said going out the door.

**A/N: Okay so nothing real major happens in this chapter but it was necessary for character development. The next chapter will be more exciting I hope! And yes it does centre around the family dinner that goes completely bad halfway through season 2. Please review and let me know what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I feel it necessary to note on this chapter, especially considering the content of it's fist half, that I do not own sons of Anarchy or it's wonderful characters. Kurt Sutter does and I only own Hailey.

Chapter 4

"Hey Gem. Need me to help with anything?" Hailey asked as she walked into the Samcro matriarch's kitchen.

"Hey Sweetheart. I didn't hear you come in. Think you could turn the vegetables for me?"

"Sure can."

"How you enjoying being back in Charming?"

"It's been okay. Can't say I've really been back long enough to form an opinion. Is it just me or are things kinda tense between Jax and Clay?"

"Yeah things are a little rough at the moment. Jax and Clay are kinda headed in different directions. Hopefully tonight is exactly what they all need."

Hailey smiled. Gemma was forever looking out for the men of Samcro and trying her best to make them take time out from the crazy world they had created for themselves. Being the first to arrive gave Hailey the chance to observe Gemma in one of her quieter moments. A moment where she was happy flitting about her kitchen doing one of the things she loved – caring for her boys through food.

"I ran into Tara today. She said you're thinking of sticking around."

"Yeah thinking of it. Crazy as it seems I kinda missed this place. And Ellie and Kenny have grown up so much since I left."

"You've been gone for five years sweetheart. Of course they have!"

"I meant more so since Donna died. They seem pretty accepting of Opie and Lyla getting closer."

"Yeah. Ope say anything to you about her coming along tonight?"

"Yeah he did mention it."

Gemma sighed. "I have to say sweetheart you haven't come back at the greatest time."

Hailey's response was cut short by Tara storming in. "I thought you were bringing a salad?" Gemma greeted her stoically.

"I've been busy." The younger woman snapped before pulling the older aside to begin a heated conversation that grew louder and louder. Something about Gemma butting her nose in at the hospital and risking Tara's job as far as Hailey could tell from what she overheard while slicing the large roast Gemma had just pulled from the oven.

Hailey glanced up to see Kenny and Ellie come quietly through from the front hall with Lyla close behind a large potato bake in her hands. "Hey." Lyla said by way of greeting toward the two feuding women.

Tara glanced around. "Perfect. Serving hand jobs for dessert?" Tara said sarcastically as she turned away toward the kitchen.

Lyla looked close to tears at the doctor's words. "Oh that's real nice in front of the kids." Her voice was shaky as she slammed the platter she'd brought down onto the table and stormed out.

Hailey glared at Tara before heading over to greet her niece and nephew who stood wide eyed and confused by the situation around them.

"Hey you two." She said placing an arm around each of them. "You both okay?"

"Yeah Aunt Hailey." Ellie answered quietly.

"What was that all about?" Asked Kenny.

"I think Tara just had a bad day is all." Hailey explained. "Now let me look at you two. You both gotta stop growing you know or pretty soon I'm not gonna recognize you!" She continued, mussing Kenny's hair and pulling a hand through Ellie's ponytail.

They both smiled and Ellie giggled. "I missed you Aunt Hail."

"Missed you too honey!" Hailey responded as Jax and Bobby arrived.

Jax immediately went across to Tara to find out what was up with her and why she'd insulted Lyla. A short while later Opie came in with Lyla on his arm and saw Hailey with his kids. "Hey kiddo good to see you." He said placing an arm around her shoulders. "You too Ope." She smiled.

"You're welcome home dinner goin' alright so far?" he asked jokingly.

"Ha. What do you think?" She answered glancing around the room filled with so much tension it could be cut with the knife on the serving platter Gemma was carrying to the table.

"What happened?" Jax asked turning his attention to his mother after something Tara had said to him.

"C'mon everybody. C'mon let's sit down." Gemma said in a last ditch effort to diffuse the tension in the room, ignoring her son and his questioning look.

Everyone began moving toward the table, the tension eased somewhat but no one really seeming too enthused about the idea of family dinner right now.

"Where the hell were you?" Clay demanded as he came through the back door. Hailey glanced up from helping Ellie to push her chair into the table to see Tig, Happy and Half sac behind him. Happy caught her eye and raised his eyebrow, the customary scowl reserved only for her all over his face. "I got two guys laid up in hospital and the rest of you can't even answer your phone?" Clay continued.

"We were neck deep in our own pile of shit." Bobby answered.

"Yeah well we almost got killed tryna take back our guns man." Tig growled back at him.

"Club business. Not here asshole." Bobby growled back, earning Tig launching at him and a scuffle ensue between them. Hailey looked on as Happy and Ope stepped in to break it up. "Hey they were helping me Clay." Opie said loudly. A loud exchange ensued between the men and with all eyes on them no one noticed Deputy Chief Hale hanging about at the still open back door. Hailey saw him before he spoke, surprising everyone else in the room.

"Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt." He said as he moved uninvited into the room. "I figured I should tell you this in person," he began slowly. All eyes were now on him and a feeling of growing concern spread throughout the room. Hailey noticed even Happy's eyes weren't as hard as usual as Hale continued. "We just found Luann Delaney on County 18 beaten to death. We have no other details right now. I'm sorry." He said as he turned to leave those gathered to process what they'd just been told.

Hailey steadied herself against the back of Ellie's chair and looked around the varying degrees of shock on the faces of everyone in the room as the Chief's announcement sunk in. Gemma especially looked like she might cry but the shock coupled with all the previous tension of the night prevented her from doing so. She couldn't help but notice Jax and Opie looking not only shocked and surprised but perhaps a little guilt ridden. Clay waited till Hale closed the door behind him to turn his attention to Jax.

"Did you cause this?" he asked of his stepson.

"What are you talking about?" Jax answered defensively.

"Payback? Cara Cara?"

"This is on me." Hailey turned shocked at her brother's admission.

"And me too. " Bobby added.

"What did you idiots do?" Tig asked at which point Bobby's answer resulted in another scuffle between the two with Happy and Half sac jumping in to break it up.

"You see what you're doing to this club?" Clay yelled over the raucous at his stepson.

"I was risking my ass for this club." Jax yelled back straight into Clay's face.

"Bullshit." He growled back.

"You're as blind as you are crippled." Jax yelled as he stepped back in contempt.

"No son the blind guy is in prison with no wife coz you just got her killed." Clay retorted drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Hailey took note of Gemma, who stood unnoticed off to the side of the two men of most importance to her life. She wasn't watching them as everyone else was and her face was distraught at the shattering of the relationship of her son and her husband before the eyes of everyone in the room.

"I'm not the one murdering women." Jax yelled back at Clay. Suddenly everyone's eyes were drawn to Gemma as she picked up the huge platter filled with roast meat and slammed it down on the table sending meat and broken crockery flying across the table in front of her.

Tig and Half sac paused in their attempt to pull Clay away from Jax and Clay took a step back. The whole room took in the broken form of Gemma as she crumpled and sat down on the dining chair behind her. An uncomfortable silence ensued as each of them stood not making eye contact, no one knowing what to say or how to explain the scene that had just transpired and in Gemma's home no less.

It was Hailey who broke the silence. "Welcome home Hailey." She said just loud enough for the rest of them to hear. "Sorry sweetheart. This isn't how tonight was meant to go." Gemma said looking up from the mess on the table she was seemingly studying with great thought.

"I'd hardly say it's your fault Gem." Hailey answered looking across to Jax and then Clay.

"Sorry Hailey." Clay offered. "This shit should never have been brought up here." He said looking across to Jax.

"Yeah sorry Hailz. Sorry mom." Jax sighed.

Tara moved forward and placed her hand on Gemma's shoulder. Gemma placed her hand upon it and offered a weak smile up at her as Lyla moved forward and began to clear up the mess on the table.

"Most of this is still good Gemma," Lyla commented.

"I'll go get another plate." Tara said.

"Thanks sweetheart." Gemma said standing up. "C'mon everybody sit. You all still need to eat."

Slowly they all began to move toward the table and take their regular seats, none of them saying a word as they watched the women clearing the table. Hailey could feel Happy's eyes on her glaring holes through her. She didn't dare look at him.

"Hailey, I put Lyla's dish in the oven to heat. Could you go grab it sweetheart?" Gemma asked.

"Sure Gem," Hailey answered heading toward the kitchen.

As she moved to open the oven door she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry about that in there Doll." Tig said quietly from beside her.

"It's okay Tiggy. I know I've come back at a really bad time." She answered turning toward him.

"Yeah but there's no excuse for bringing that shit here, and spoiling your welcome home bash."

"Don't worry. Tara was already doing a pretty good job of that anyway."

"Didn't seem like a happy family that we walked in on." He answered. "C'mon lets head back out there." He said turning to leave the kitchen.

"Tig?" Hailey called him back. "What did Jax mean out there when he said he's not the one murdering women?"

"Nothin' Doll. Just blowin' off steam." Tig answered quickly but Hailey saw a look of apprehension, almost guilt flash across his face before he said it.

"C'mon Doll." He said placing his hand on her back as she headed out of the kitchen, Lyla's dish in her hands.

"Fuckin' Princess." Happy growled from across the table at her as she placed the dish on the table in front of him.

"Really Hap? You wanna start this now?" She growled back.

"Knock it off both of ya. Enough shit has gone down tonight." Clay interceded, sounding tired.

"Just sit down Hailey." Tig added motioning to the spot next to him.

What transpired from that point on was the most awkward and uncomfortable family dinner that Hailey had ever attended in Gemma's home. Conversation was strained and for the most part it was eaten in silence. The absence of Chibs was particularly felt and the tension between the patches was unfathomable especially between Jax and Clay. Hailey glanced across the table at her brother where he sat his arm across the back of Lyla's chair. He looked well, at peace with Donna's death, happy where he was at with Lyla. She didn't know any details of what they had all been arguing about but she had no doubt that her brother was once again neck deep in the shit that was all par for the course in the Samcro world. It was these shit storms that she had wanted to get away from, the very reason she had left Charming.

She looked around the table at the men she'd known her whole life and wondered why she'd come back. She knew that if it weren't for Opie she'd stay away. Yes she'd grown up around them, yes she loved them but in all honesty she knew what they were. Outlaw bikers, criminals. They led the sort of life that if she stuck around and decided to move back to Charming, despite their best efforts to keep her out of it, she'd end up embroiled in something she wanted no part of.

She sighed and rested her head against Tig's shoulder as he placed his arm around her in response to the only audible noise from anyone at the table in the last ten minutes.

"You a'right Doll?" he asked her quietly.

"Yeah Tig. Just thinkin' is all."

"About my dick and how good it would taste in your mouth?"

"Hardly. But I bet you're loving that picture you've painted for yourself hey?" Hailey responded somewhat grateful for his interruption of her thoughts.

"Sure am Doll. You wanna make it a reality for me?"

"Not tonight Tiggy." She answered seeing the scowl Happy was casting across at her. "You got a problem Hap?"

"Not one I care to cause a scene over Princess." He answered still scowling.

Gemma rose from the table and began clearing it, Lyla and Tara moved to help her. Hailey moved from Tig's side where she had been lazily stroking his leg, indulging him in his fantasies a little and began helping also.

"We got this tonight Hailey. You just enjoy being home sweetheart." Gemma told her.

Hailey gave her a small smile before excusing herself from the room.

She slipped outside into the cool night air leaving the tumultuous tension of the night's events behind her. _What in heaven's name am I doing back here? Of all the places I could have gone to get away from Joel, I come back here. _With the darkness surrounding her she thought of the previous night and the sheer terror she'd seen on Joel's face as he'd met Happy's murderous glare. She knew Happy was right. She did come back here when it all got too much. But she'd planned it this time. She hadn't admitted it to anyone in so many words yet but she'd had every intention of staying in Charming this time; that was until tonight. The shit storm she'd witnessed tonight, the tension between Tara and Gemma, Tara's self righteous attitude, they were all reasons why she had left Charming. She'd left all the shit of it behind. In Tacoma she was Hailey Winston, CPN at a leading children's hospital. In Charming she could never be that. She had thought perhaps she could make it work but tonight had proved how wrong she was.

She heard the door slide open behind her and turned to see Happy's tall and muscular form stepping out into the darkness.

"Great. Guess I'll be going back in then." Hailey scowled at him.

"Not so fast Princess." He said blocking her path.

"Get outta my way Hap." She glowered trying to move past him. He nudged her shoulder forcing her backwards.

"What the fuck was that in there Hailey? What makes you so fuckin' special that they all think they spoiled your night?"

"They're my family Hap."

"And that means you have to be the centre of attention? Act like a spoiled little Princess?"

"What is it to you Happy?"

"It makes me sick the way they treat you. The way you lap it up like it's your birth right. The way you give them no fucking respect back." He berated her.

"Well you'll be glad to know I'm leaving in a couple of days then won't you?"

"Leaving huh? Now that you've had me do your dirty work again?" he growled.

"It's got nothing to do with that."

"Like hell it hasn't Princess. I shoulda let him rape you."

"And then maybe joined in on the fun?" She glowered sarcastically.

She gasped sharply as he grabbed her arms and pinned her back against the wall. "I may not think very highly of you Princess but let's get one thing straight. I ain't ever, nor will I ever treat a woman, any woman like that low life piece of scum treats you. You understand?"

She gave a small nod, feeling tears stinging the corners of her eyes she didn't trust her voice and didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing them. She felt his body pressed hard up against hers, his breath hot on her cheek. For the first time in the five years that she'd had him following her he was nearly scaring her.

"I was there to save you this time Princess but runaway again? Let the big bad world get the better of you? Next time I won't be there to save your sorry ass. I'm done being your tail Princess."

"Good maybe I can lead a normal fucking life then!"

"You're such an ungrateful little bitch aren't ya? You know what really pisses me off about you?"

"Enlighten me Happy." She groused and then gasped as his grip on her arms tightened.

"After all the shit you've caused around here you still have the audacity to act like a fuckin' Princess. And now they've welcomed you back, scraped aside the fuckin' shit storm that's brewing to make everything all happy and dandy for Princess Samcro and you're gonna throw it all back in their faces by running away again."

"I left Charming to leave all this shit behind Happy."

"So why do you keep coming back? Oh that's right you didn't have me up there babysitting you."

"Don't flatter yourself Hap."

"Face it Princess. You can't cope without me watching your ass." He said chipping her chin up to meet his eyes. They held that unmistakable glower.

"You wish Hap." She whispered refusing to let him know the truth of his words.

His eyes softened a little at her lowered tone. Despite her best efforts to lock him out he knew he was getting through to her. "You're gonna break Opie leavin' again you know that right?"

"Yeah." She nodded sadly, "I really was planning on staying but clearly now isn't a good time."

"It's never a good time around here Princess."

"Exactly why I'm not staying."

"I meant it when I said I won't be watching your ass anymore."

"Good."

"Just know then Princess that no one else will ever protect you like I did." He said. There was no menace in his voice as he pulled her hair back forcing her to meet his eyes. His lips lingered ever so close to hers and she felt his breath hot against her cheek. When she met his eyes the menacing glower they usually held dropped for just a moment replaced by a look she couldn't decipher.

"Remember that Princess." His usual glower returned as he released his grip on her hair and shoulders and headed back inside leaving her wondering what had just transpired.

**A/N: So this chapter much like my initial thoughts for the whole premise of this story focuses on the what if? What if there was another person around watching everything that goes on. I've often wondered what happened in the Morrow household after the credits rolled on this episode. I think Hailey provides the necessary perspective to diffuse the situation. What did you think? **

**Thanks so much for your reviews. Please keep them coming. I love reading them.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Well that was a fuckin' shit storm waiting to happen_, Happy thought as he rode back to the lot that night. Jax and Clay had been running in different directions for weeks. He respected them both which was why he had agreed to help out in Charming while Chibs recovered but this antagonism between them highlighted to him why he preferred the Nomad life. While he didn't necessarily agree with some of the decisions Clay was making right now he had always understood the need for loyalty and it seemed right now Jax had his own agenda. Whatever it was that had him running around behind Clay's back making 'executive' decisions away from the table was going to be the undoing of this charter. Happy had never had a problem with Jax. He was a smart kid but he did recognize in him the need to pull his head in occasionally. He knew that at some point in the future Jax would have to step up as President and he had no doubts about his ability to lead but in the meantime he needed to realize that there was a reason he only wore the VP patch.

He didn't know exactly where this rivalry between them had stemmed from but he had seen it brewing at Donna's funeral. He didn't know for sure but he suspected it had something to do with what went down the night Opie's wife was killed.

As he neared the lot he found himself taking a left and heading out of Charming. He had more going on in his head than just the rift in the Redwood charters upper ranks and he needed the freedom of the road to help him clear it.

He supposed tonight could have gone even further south if it hadn't been for the interjection of Gemma making her scene. He had no other words for it. Chicks always let their emotions get the better of them till things boiled over into a scene like that. Mother Gemma was no exception.

And Hailey, little Samcro Princess and her innate ability to turn everything around to put her back at its centre. He actually doubted that she did it on purpose but it still pissed him off none the less. He'd spent the last five years tailing her off and on at her brother's request and if he was perfectly honest with himself he actually didn't mind it. Tig was right. She did have a sweet ass and those tits. Hell, she certainly was pleasing on the eye.

None of his brothers approved of her choice in men, hell even he didn't. This latest one and the most problematic of recent times wasn't dangerous in the criminal sense but he sure as hell didn't treat her right. This wasn't the first time she'd tried to leave him. The weasely little low life had such sway over her that she always went crawling back and he actually hoped that this time she stayed true to her word and stayed away. He wasn't good for her and he fell short of telling Opie just how badly he treated her. Hell, he'd witnessed it himself the night he'd come back here to rough her up. For her to be more afraid of his weasely little ass than she was of him – that said something.

He knew some of what he was capable of, suspected the rest. He'd bet the other night wasn't the first time he'd treated her like that.

He had to admit that it was only when she was back in Charming that she got under his skin so much that he felt the need to lay into her so much. The way she flitted about with them all wrapped around her finger irked him. But when he was out on the road, crossing her path every so often he could kind of understand why she was the way she was. With all the shit he knew she'd been through in her childhood and all he'd witnessed the shithead do to her, only half of it had he actually told Opie – there were more than a few little secrets between them, he had never seen her break down, never seen her cry or have any kind of outburst like Gemma's tonight. He knew that she held it all in and hell knows there must have been a lot of fucked up shit floating around in that pretty little head of hers.

She was tough as nails and wouldn't let that outer shell crack for anyone. He knew how close she had been to Donna. She had practically been raised by the woman when her own mother had died and he hadn't even seen her cry at her funeral. He'd seen the heartbreak hiding behind those steel blue eyes. And it wasn't the only time either. The day she'd come back this time, despite her usual banter with Tig and the smile on her face her eyes had told a different story. He didn't know what the shit head had done to her this time but he'd bet there was a reason for the fear he'd seen in her eyes that day. He knew the confident persona she exuded was a cover to protect her brother from learning just how broken she was.

Right now he knew he was needed in Charming and knew he couldn't be spared to follow her wherever she chose to run to and he knew that Opie wouldn't let her go without a tail. He'd meant what he said to her tonight. He was done being her tail but only because he hoped that it'd make her park her ass here in Charming. After years of watching her although he would never admit it aloud, should she choose to up and leave again he knew he would have no choice but to follow. He'd realized long ago that he didn't trust anyone else to keep her safe.

As he pulled back into the lot he was relieved to see her car there. He wouldn't have put it past her to just up and leave without telling anyone. He found her where he knew he would. In the kitchen making tea, it was a night time ritual he'd witnessed many a time when she was back here.

"Princess!" he barked from the doorway making her jump and nearly drop the cup that was in her hand.

"Shit Hap! You scared me."

"Thought you said I wasn't scary."

"You know what I mean Asshole."

"Nasty names from the Princess? Did I hit a nerve earlier?"

"Did you want something Happy?"

"You still leaving or did our little chat change your mind?"

"I'm leaving as soon as Chibs is out of St. Thomas." She said and then continued in response to the questioning look he gave her. "I wanna see him before I go and I hate hospitals."

He gave her a somewhat understanding nod. "Make sure you tell Ope your going."

He saw the sadness at the thought of breaking her brother's heart flick across her eyes before she steeled herself against him and answered. "If you insist."

"And make sure to tell him I'm done tailing you."

"You know he'll try to convince me to stay right?"

"Not my problem Princess." He said before heading down the hallway to his dorm room.

* * *

><p>"Hailey, glad you're here." Tara said walking across from her car to where Hailey sat outside the clubhouse smoking a cigarette, her mind awash with thoughts of the previous night. "I spoke to my supervisor at the hospital and it turns out they're actually hiring at the moment. They're very interested in talking to you."<p>

"Oh thanks Tara. But I'm not so sure I'm gonna stick around after all."

"Here" She said handing the younger girl a card. "This is the person you need to call if you wanna set something up."

"Thanks Tara. I'll give it some thought."

"I'd love to have someone else for company other than Gemma if you get what I mean. It'd be great to have you around Hailey." Tara smiled.

"Maybe for some." Happy commented as he came out of the clubhouse and headed toward his bike.

"You have a real knack for overhearing conversations don't you Hap?" Hailey said.

"Almost as much as you have a real knack for finding trouble." He responded.

"Shut up Hap. Have I caused any trouble since I came here this time?" She snapped without thinking.

"You really wanna go there Princess?" he smirked knowing she hadn't meant her blunder.

"Forget that I said that." She said quickly.

"Forgotten our little conversation Princess?" He continued.

"Drop it Happy." She growled at him.

"You sure Princess? Trouble follows you doen't it?" He goaded her.

"Happy just fucking drop it okay?" She snapped.

"Sure thing Princess." He said headed toward his Harley.

Hailey shook her head watching him go.

"What was that all about?" Tara asked.

"Nothing. Just regular Happy and Hailey bullshit." Hailey smiled irritably as she watched him peel out of the lot.

"Really? Coz it sounded like he was referring to something." Tara pressed.

"It's nothing Tara. Really." Hailey grumbled. She hated the way Tara always seemed to stick her nose in where it wasn't wanted.

* * *

><p>Hailey sighed as she leaned against the side of the garage watching Opie work. She'd made up her mind to leave in a day or so and she didn't have the heart to tell him. She hadn't seen him happier than he was now that he and Lyla had made their relationship more official. She knew that what Happy had said was true. If she up and left this time it was going to break him. She also knew that Happy had meant what he said about being done being her tail. Opie wouldn't like that and would more than likely convince her to stay. She doubted Happy would ever agree to watch her again.<p>

"What are you moping about Hailz?" Opie asked looking up from the bike he was working on.

"I'm not moping." She answered a little too defensively.

"Yeah you are." He said putting down the spanner he was using and wiping his hands on a dirty rag before picking it up again.

"I'm just thinking about the other night, at Gemma's. All the shit that went down."

"It'll soon blow over Hailey. It always does."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I have to Hailz. Something has to start going right."

Hailey sighed. She knew that this life was all her brother had and he was so accepting of everything that went with it.

She sighed again and headed toward the clubhouse just as the clubs cargo van pulled up from bringing Chibs back.

"Hailey baby!" he called across the lot as he saw her. "I'd heard you were in town Lovey!"

"Hey Chibs. How you doin'?" she asked as he made his way toward her.

"It'll take more than a car bomb to take this Scotsman out Lovey!" he replied.

Hailey smiled. "I knew this lot wasn't complete without you!"

"Please tell me you're stickin' around Lovey. Were done worriyin' about ya." He said as he reached her and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know Chibby. I really don't." She said looking across the lot to where Happy was parking his bike. Chibs caught the scowl he sent Hailey's way as he stalked past them into the clubhouse.

"You two still not gettin' along Lovey?" He asked placing his arm around her shoulders.

"Nah. Don't think we ever will."

"Don't let 'im get to ya Lovey. He's just jealous of how much we all love ya!"

Hailey smiled. "I'm glad you're okay Chibs. This place isn't the same without you."

"Same goes for you Lovey. You're like a breath of fresh air around here." He said placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm going inside fer a drink. You coming?"

"Yeah why not? It's never too early for a drink around here right?"

"Aye. That's the spirit!"

Any further conversation with Opie could wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Chibs words echoed through her head as she approached her brother to start a conversation she wasn't ready to have. _We're all done worrying about you Lovey. _With everything going on in their world they still worried about her.

"Ope? You got a minute?" She asked as she approached her brother where he knelt in the lot restoring his old bike.

"Sure Kiddo. Listen I'm nearly done here okay? I'll meet you inside in a bit."

"Okay." She said quietly as she turned to head back inside. Opie watched her go. He wasn't the only one who'd noticed her moping about the lot the last couple of days and he suspected he knew what she wanted to talk about. She'd changed her mind and was leaving again, going back once again to her lowlife boyfriend. He sighed a heavy sigh. He really wished she'd listen to some of the sense they'd all tried to talk into her over the years.

* * *

><p>Alone in the clubroom with just her thoughts to keep her company, Hailey knew she couldn't leave. She'd spent most of her life running from her problems or perhaps running back to them even. Despite all the shit that was going on around her she knew that this was where she felt most at home. Piney and Opie had never told her much of what went on inside club walls and she was okay with that. She was pretty sure she didn't want to know most of it anyway.<p>

A part of her was done running and wanted to stay put so as to not add to the drama of their lives. She knew that they all counted her as a sister and she knew that they all worried about her probably as much as Opie did. They'd straightened out more than a number of messes for her over the years. If she stayed then perhaps they wouldn't need to anymore. She owed them that.

"Thought you were leaving Princess." Her thoughts were interrupted by that ever familiar gravelly voice.

"Think I may have changed my mind."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Can't handle the thought of life without me to watchin' your back?"

"Don't keep flattering yourself like that Hap."

"Face it Princess. You know it's the truth." He said as he headed toward the locker room that was just adjacent to the bar.

"Hap?" She called after him. He turned his head back and paused in the doorway as he looked questioningly at her.

"What was with you at Gemma's? You nearly kissed me."

"Don't flatter yourself Princess." He threw her words back at her mockingly, a clear smirk on his face as he continued through the doorway.

She sighed. She knew what she had felt that night. His closeness and his breath so hot on her cheek in the darkness as he pressed her up against the wall of Gemma's back porch. The look that had crossed over his eyes so fleetingly, a quiet kind of perusal, before the customary menace returned. Could Happy be developing feelings for her? She brushed the thought aside. She figured it was just another attempt to mess with her head which he seemed to like doing.

She heard him rifling through his locker and then watched as he stalked back outside without so much as a glance in her direction.

As the clubhouse door swung closed she heard the commotion outside. Opie's voice, loud and filled with rage drifted through to her. "What did you do?" he yelled.

Hailey ran outside to find Opie holding Tig against the tow truck, his fist raised ready to strike Tig for what obviously wouldn't be the first time judging by the shape Tig's face was in.

"I'm sorry Ope. I'm so sorry." Tig almost sobbed.

Hailey felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her back as she moved to intervene. She turned to find it belonged to Happy. "Get off me Hap." She growled.

"Not your place to break it up Princess." He said.

Just then Jax came riding back into the lot and immediately saw the confrontation between the pair.

"Jax do something." Hailey pleaded as soon as he was off his bike.

"Opie," Jax yelled running across the lot toward the two men.

Clay and Juice came from the garage, Piney close behind as Jax stepped forward and grabbed at Opie's arm and tried to talk to him but he pushed him aside "Opie!" Jax called after him as he made off toward his truck. "Get her out of here. She doesn't need to know about this!" he yelled after him. Hailey watched him go, afraid of what he was going to do before she felt Happy's hand at her shoulder again. "C'mon Princess, let's go." He said.

"No." She said turning on him. "What was that all about?"

"Opie doen't want you involved Princess. C'mon."

"Well too bad for Ope. I don't witness my brother beating the shit out of one of his brothers and then not find out what it was about." She said shaking his hand off her shoulder. He could have dragged her away kicking and screaming if he had desired but he didn't. He knew she had a point.

She turned back to the conversation at hand. Clay had demanded of Tig to know what was going on.

"I had to tell him." Tig said quietly.

"Tell him what?" Bobby asked.

"That I killed Donna." Tig answered him. Hailey heard the words as if they were echoing through her head. How could this be? How could Tig, her confidante, the man she counted as a friend since she was a child, her voice of reason throughout her adolescence, her Tig be responsible for killing Donna? It just didn't make sense.

"Jesus Christ." Bobby said drawing the words out as Tig's words sunk in.

"It was Stahl's fault. Opie knows." Tig continued.

"Opie knows what?" Jax demanded.

"Stahl's the one who really killed Donna."

"Shit." Jax said pulling his hand through his hair. "He's going after Stahl. Shit." He ran over to his bike to pursue Opie. With confusion and heartbreak wrecking havoc through her mind, Hailey hoped that Jax would find Opie before this got any worse. She knew her brother never thought straight when he was this angry.

Clay took one more look at Tig and turned away back toward the garage, Bobby following. She caught the glare her father threw at Clay before he too walked away.

"Princess? You a'right?" Happy asked her.

"Yeah Hap." She said looking across the lot to the heartbroken man who still stood slumped against the side of the tow truck. She knew there had to be more to this and she was going to make Tig tell her. Happy looked at her eyes and didn't for a second believe that she was okay.

"Tiggy." Hailey approached him. "Come on inside and I'll clean you up."

He looked across at her sadly. "You shouldn'ta had to see that Hailz."

"Never mind. Just let me clean you up okay?" he nodded and let her lead him inside.

Clay and Bobby halted their conversation as Tig and Hailey walked past the bar. "Do it in the apartment." Bobby told her seeing the first aid kit in her hand.

"Thanks Hail." Clay said.

Tig filled her in on the details of what had happened to cause Donna's death as she patched up the cuts and bruises on his face put there by her brother.

Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes at once again hearing the details of that dreadful night but this time from the perspective of the man who'd killed her. A man she would never have guessed responsible for it. She sighed. She could see how sorry and wracked with guilt Tig was.

"It wasn't your fault Tig. I can understand how it happened." She said when he was finished and sat in front of her hanging his head with shame.

"Tig seriously." She said taking his head in her hands forcing him to look at her. "Don't blame yourself. It was an accident. A terrible tragic accident."

"But it should have been Ope Hailz. You gonna forgive me for that too? I was sposed to kill your brother that night Hailey."

"But you didn't Tiggy. And you were only acting on Clay's orders. I know you would never harm my brother, any of your brothers in fact, without reason."

"You're too good to me Hailey. Too good to all of us."

She smiled a sad smile. "I really don't know why I keep coming back here."

"It's hard to stay away from family Hailey." He smiled. She was glad to see him returning to his usual self.

* * *

><p>Hailey found Jax a short time later. "Did you find Opie?" She asked.<p>

"Yeah, he's back. I think he went to the roof." Jax answered seeing the relief on her face.

"Did he …" She trailed off not sure exactly what she was about to ask.

"Nah Darlin'. He didn't do anything stupid." Jax answered her.

"Thanks Jax."

"Hailey what happened today. It's a club issue okay? It can't leave these walls."

"It's okay Jax. I know."

"I mean it Hailey. No one else can know about this."

"You have my word Jax. I promise."

He placed his arm about her shoulders. "You know I never got to tell you how good it is to have you back Darlin'."

"Not sure it's so good being back." She joked.

He smiled an understanding half smile at her. "Listen Kiddo, we have to go sort this out in the chapel but you hang tight. I'm sure Ope will wanna talk."

* * *

><p>As she sat alone in the clubhouse she heard the unmistakable hum of her father's bike heading into the lot. She sighed. She knew he wouldn't be coping so well with the morning's revelations.<p>

She watched as he stalked into the clubhouse, straight past her. She noticed he wasn't wearing his cut.

"Pop what the fuck?" she cried as she saw him draw a gun from his pocket before bursting in through the chapel doors.

"You son of a bitch!" he yelled before firing two shots in Clay's direction.

"Get the god damn gun off him!" Jax yelled.

Through the open doors she saw Opie and Juice jump to disarm her father and Clay ready to rough him up.

"Give me the room." Opie interjected standing between Clay and his struggling father.

She watched as Clay and the others all filed out and Opie slammed the chapel doors.

"What the hell was that?" Hailey asked.

"Your father has more than a few screws loose Hailey." Clay answered her as he stalked toward the bar.

"Clearly." She responded."I'll be outside."

* * *

><p>Sometime later Piney emerged out of the clubhouse and stalked back toward his bike, not bothering to acknowledge his daughter sitting with Tara and Lyla at the tables. Clay and the others soon followed, Opie among them. He took Lyla into his arms and kissed her before turning to Hailey.<p>

"So how about that chat now Hailey?"

"Sure Ope." She answered letting him lead her away from the others. She noticed Happy staring at her as he did so, no menace in his gaze, only that quiet perusal that she was beginning to find a little unnerving.

"How much did you hear this morning?" Opie asked her when they were sitting together on the other table.

"Enough. I know what happened to Donna." Hailey replied.

Opie sighed. "I didn't want you to find out that way. Why didn't Happy pull you away like I asked?"

"I wouldn't let him. I needed to know what made you make a mess of Tig's face like that."

He nodded in understanding. "Jax told me it was you who cleaned him up?"

"Yeah."

"So you don't blame him for what happened that night?"

"No Ope. I don't. Do you?"

"Nah. He was just following Clay's orders. Hailey I'm just relieved I finally know what happened that night." He said.

"Yeah me too."

"So you. I'm guessing you're headed back to Tacoma?"

"No I'm not. I've decided to stay here. I'm gonna apply for a job at the hospital tomorrow."

"Seriously? After all the shit that's gone down in the last two days?"

"Yeah seriously. I'd made up my mind before today but I can't very well go and leave now can I? What with Pop trying to kill everyone and let's face it you're not really okay are you?"

"I'll be right Kiddo."

"Are you sure? How can you sit at that table with Clay knowing he ordered a hit on you?"

"That's for me to sort out Hailey. You don't need to worry about it."

"But really Ope are you okay with being back in? Cos I assume you are."

"Yeah. I am Hailz. I need to for Jax. He gave me a bit to think about in terms of the future."

"Well that future is gonna have me in it. I really do wanna stay this time."

"It'll be good to have you around Kiddo." He said putting his arm around her. "Maybe just try and stay outta Happy's way though." He chuckled.

"I'm not so sure he'll be a problem. This may seem crazy but he seems to be letting up on me a bit."

"Well good. Maybe you both just need to sit down and talk some shit out."

"Now Ope let's not take it too far." She laughed.

She sat, her head against Opie's shoulder, content. She knew she had made the right decision. It was time to be the sister Opie needed her to be rather than running away again and giving all of them more to worry about.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay so this update has come a little sooner than I expected I'd be able to get it up. Life has been a little stressful lately but my writing is my escape! Thanks for your reviews. I'm glad there is so much love for Hailey and I hope you're all glad she decided to stick around. Please keep your reviews coming! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter comes with a trigger warning as Hailey details just what Joel did to her before she left.**

* * *

><p>"So you got the job little sis?" Opie asked his sister who sat across from him.<p>

"Sure did. I start on Monday." Hailey answered grinning.

"Good stuff Kiddo. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Ope."

"Your mom would be too."

Hailey gave a sad smile. "I hope you're right." She said.

"He is doll. You're mom woulda been rapt that her little girl has made so much of herself." Tig said from behind her. He was sitting at the other table, Chibs across from him. They'd been sitting together and talking in hushed whispers for the last half an hour.

"Thanks Tiggy." Hailey answered.

He smiled as he rose and came toward her and kissed her cheek. "Grats Hailz. You deserve it." He said.

Chibs rose from his spot and suddenly announced loudly. "So it's a glorious afternoon. Who's up fer a ride?"

"Out to the diner on the highway?" Tig proposed.

"Sounds good." The Scotsman answered.

"I'm in." Tig said. "You coming Doll?"

"Me?" Hailey asked.

"Yeah you! You used to ride with me all the time before you left. You remember?" Tig asked her.

"Yeah. It was about the only time I was calm and not getting into trouble." Said Hailey thinking back to when she was younger. Tig smiled and winked at her before exchanging a quick look with Chibs that she couldn't help but notice.

"What about you Ope?" Chibs asked.

"Sure why not. Who you riding with Lil Sis?"

"Is it okay if I go with Tig?" She asked her brother, he knew checking that things were okay between the two of them.

"Of course Hailz." He answered her. "Tig and I are good."

She smiled. It never ceased to amaze her, the close bond of camaraderie that existed between these men. No matter what went down between them they always brushed it aside and moved on for the sake of brotherhood.

"Come on doll. Let's go, see if they can catch us." Tig said handing her his helmet.

* * *

><p>They rode out to the diner on the highway. Hailey noticed that it hadn't changed since the last time she'd been there which would have before she'd left Charming five years earlier.<p>

"Nothing ever changes around here does it?" She remarked as she and Tig walked from his bike across to one of the outside tables.

"Not a bit." He motioned for her to take a seat. "You want whatever I'm having?" He asked grinning and raising his eyebrow at her.

"Sure." She answered smiling. That had always been her standard response whenever they'd ridden out here together when she'd been growing up. Nothing ever changes. He'd often brought her out here to get her away from the club and to cool off and get over whatever her latest tantrum had been.

She heard the approach of other Harleys as Tig went in to order. She glanced around and saw three pulling up next to Tig's. Opie, Chibs and Happy. She cast Chibs a questioning stare as he approached the table she was sitting at. "What the hell is he doing here?" She asked as he reached her and took a seat next to her. He didn't answer her question, just responded with "Just try to be nice, Lovey."

She could tell that Happy was less than impressed to see her also but he said nothing, just sat across from her. Tig came back out. "Ah good you're here. I took the liberty of ordering." The short and stocky but not unpleasant looking waitress followed him out with a tray filled with five beers in her hand.

"Oh, didn't know you were back." She said when she saw Hailey. "You're Opie's little sister right?"

"Yeah I am. Hailey." She answered.

"Hailey. That's right. You back for good or just visiting?

"Back for good actually." Hailey smiled surprised that this waitress remembered her.

"Oh well good for you. Everyone who leaves Charming always seems to make their way back." The waitress commented. Hailey smiled. She couldn't disagree with just how true that was.

"Wow I was certainly right. Nothing does change around here if she remembers me." Hailey said as the waitress walked back inside.

"I can think of something that has changed." Said Chibs.

"Oh yeah what's that." She asked him.

"Yer no longer a lil shit!" he laughed. She smiled.

"You sure about that?" Asked Happy.

"Oh you've no idea the shit she used to do Hap! It's a wonder we didn't kill 'er!" Chibs continued.

Happy raised an eyebrow which Hailey took to mean he almost wished they had.

"My oath!" said Tig. "You certainly didn't want to piss her off, that's for sure."

"And it never took much either." Opie added.

"You remember when you wouldn't let her out to that party in Lodi Ope?" Chibs asked.

"Sure do! She painted 'FUCK YOU OPIE! I HATE YOU!' across the tank of my Harley in red nail polish. I had to strip it back and repaint the fucker." He raised his eyebrows at Hailey watching her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink.

"What was it you did to piss her off that night she went AWOL Tiggy?" Chibs asked.

"I don't even remember man. All I remember is my bike ended up spray painted hot pink. She's lucky I forgave her for that one." Tig said as their food came out.

"At least it was still in one piece. The first and only time I tried to discipline this lil troublemaker she took a hammer to all my mirrors." Chibs said.

"The bikes. It was always the bikes." Opie lamented.

Hailey sat, a bright red blush spreading across her cheeks. "I guess I knew how to get you back when you pissed me off." She said.

"More like when you didn't get your way." Opie said.

"Yeah, I didn't take too kindly to being told what to do back then."

"It's a wonder she's never done anythin' to your bike brother." Chibs directed toward Happy.

"P'haps she knows better than to mess with me." He glowered at Hailey. "Sounds like you caused a lot of damage Princess."

"Hey I've paid Clay back every cent that it cost him to repair all the damage I caused." She said in her defense.

"I've no doubt, you have Doll." Tig spoke up. "You were always so sorry afterward. I'd bring you out here and we'd have our little chats." Tig reminisced. "And then you'd be the perfect little angel we all loved for a while."

"Until one of you pissed me off again." She smiled.

"Perfect little angel? I'm not sure they're the words I'd use to describe teenage Hailey." said Opie.

"Aww. Come on there had to be some endearing qualities for us to have kept her around." Tig defended her.

Happy raised his eyebrows at her a look of disdain upon his face.

"Well, I think I'm just about done," said Chibs pushing his plate away from him, "I'm gonna go take a piss." He rose from the table and headed inside.

"Hey Tig," Opie piped up. "My bike was making an odd sound on the way out here. Wanna come take a look see if it's what I think?"

"Sure man. Let's take a look." The two also left the table to head over to their bikes.

"You really were a little shit weren't you?" Happy commented once he and Hailey had been left alone.

"Yeah, but times change Hap." She answered sighing as she propped her elbow on the table and rested her head against her hand.

"Oh do they now? You think coz you paid Clay back it's all made up for?"

"I didn't say that. What I said was times change. I've changed."

"Doesn't make up for it."

"I never said it did!"

"Think becoming a nurse and coming back here and helping all the poor helpless sick people of Charming makes you a good person?"

"Oh like you can lecture me about being a good person. How many people have you killed Hap?"

"That's different."

"Is it? Tell me how!"

They were so caught up in their latest scruff that they didn't notice Chibs come out and join the other two, nor did they notice the three of them getting on their bikes readying to leave until they heard the sounds of the three engines start up and take off in unison back toward Charming.

Hailey spun around at the sound and was just in time to see the three of them speeding off down the highway. Chibs looked back, a huge smug grin on his face. "What the fuck are they doing?" Hailey cried looking across at Happy's lone bike still sitting there. She looked around at Happy who sat with one eyebrow raised and a less than amused expression on his face.

"We've been set up Princess." He answered.

"What?" she responded.

"This is their way of forcing us to get along or at least testing me to see if I'll leave you out here."

"Bastards!" She cursed.

"Yep" he agreed.

"So what do we do now?" She asked.

"Well we could get on my bike and head back to the lot and berate them but I'm guessing they want us to have a little chat and make nice."

"Like that's gonna happen." She said.

Just then the waitress came out to collect the plates and empty bottles. "Oh. I thought you'd all left." She remarked.

"Nah, just the others." Happy said to her.

"Well it's such a lovely day why not spend it out here together." She remarked. "He the reason you're staying in Charming sweetheart?"

"What?" Hailey almost scoffed, shocked that she'd come to that conclusion "Oh. No we're not together. Not like that."

"Oh sorry. I thought since they'd left you here together you might've… Well never mind. Anything else I can get you?"

"No thanks. We're good." Said Happy, standing up and coming around to Hailey's side of the table.

"Okay. Well yell out if you need anything," She said heading back inside.

"What are you doing?" Hailey asked as Happy sat down next to her straddling the bench with one leg either side of it.

"Let's do this." He responded.

"Do what?" She asked feeling a little nervous at how close he was.

"Talk. Figure out our shit. Whatever it is they want us to do."

Hailey sighed. "I guess they're a little over us laying into each other all the time."

"C'mon Hailey. You can't tell me you haven't noticed me let up on you the last few days."

"Yeah I had noticed. Why?"

"You must have some endearing qualities right?"

"Seriously Hap? I thought you hated me."

"Not so much. Just some of the shit you do."

Hailey studied him sitting there before her. There was no malice in his gaze, only that quiet perusal she was beginning to see more and more. She sighed as a long pause halted their conversation.

"So I hear your mom's not doing so well." She said trying to make conversation but also thinking that perhaps that may be at the root of his often belligerent attitude.

"What do you know about my mother?" He snapped.

"I know it must be hard to watch what she's going through."

"Oh yeah?" he said getting short and belligerent again. "What would you know about that?"

"More than you think Happy. I know how helpless you must feel knowing there's nothing you can do for her. How utterly hopeless it makes you feel watching her suffer each day slipping further and further away from the strong and courageous woman you once knew." Suddenly she was no longer talking about him or his mother but remembering back to her own experience as she continued tears forming in her eyes. "When you're the only thing she has left but she hasn't even got the ability to tell you she loves you …" She trailed off.

He looked into her steel blue eyes and saw them filled with pain. "What did she have?" he asked her knowing they were no longer talking about his own mother.

"A very rare and extremely aggressive brain cancer. She was diagnosed and then within weeks she was gone. I barely had time to process it before I was losing her. I sat with her in the hospital every day. Her speech was the first thing to go. She'd sit there watching me each day, trying to keep up appearances for my sake, but she knew she was dying and she knew I knew it too. There was always a sad acceptance behind her gaze. By the end she couldn't eat or even swallow and struggled with every breath she took. The last night that I sat with her the sadness in her eyes was unbearable before she drifted into a sleep that she never woke from."

He took hold of one of her hands in both of his. She didn't protest. He realized he'd underestimated her. He doubted that she had ever broken down and said all that out loud before. "I guess you do know what you're talking about." He said looking into her eyes.

She smiled a sad smile. "Yeah, maybe just a little."

"My mom's not that bad. But she's still not doing so good." He offered.

She nodded. "Make the most of the time you have left Hap." She smiled her eyes sad.

"You wanna tell me why you finally left Joel?" he asked becoming the concerned Happy that had made such a brief appearance the night Joel had shown up and attacked her. He noticed her flinch at the sound of her ex boyfriend's name.

"You saw what he was capable of the night he showed up here."

"Yeah I did. But there had to be a reason you hot tailed it down here." He pressed.

She sighed. "You said yourself you'd seen from a distance how he treated me? That was out in public. Ever wonder what it was like behind closed doors?" She asked.

"All the time." He admitted.

"He was rough, violent, abusive both physically and verbally. I'd take you yelling at me any day over what I went through with him." She met the gaze of his dark eyes that hadn't left her face.

"What made you finally leave?" he pressed.

"The last night I was there, the night I drove back here, 12 hours straight, he … he raped me."

Happy just nodded. He had thought as much when he had seen how scared of him she was the night he'd showed up.

"He'd always been abusive but he had never hurt me during sex. It was always like sex was his apology for hurting me," she continued. "But that night he had hit me and beat me harder than ever. He'd gotten wind of the fact that I was planning on coming back here a week earlier and he was angrier than I'd ever seen him. He took my keys and locked me in the house. No one knew any different as I'd already resigned. Anyone who knew I was coming back here probably assumed I'd already left. He left me locked up for that week. Barely came near me. It was the last day that I was there that he started to …" she trailed off.

"Started to what?" he pressed her.

She paused to raise her tank top to just below her bra showing him bruises down her sides and torso that were still mottled and purple nearly two weeks later. He had no doubt that they continued further up and down her body also. She lowered her top and swallowed, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and continuing.

"He'd never hurt me like that before. I tried talking to him and explaining why I wanted to come back. And I thought I'd finally gotten through to him when he started being gentle again." She saw Happy raise his eyebrows at the word gentle.

"Yes he was capable of gentle." She smiled briefly before continuing. "I thought I'd finally gotten through to him and then I said something really dumb that made him snap. That's when he started hurting me, really hurting me. And then he raped me – there's no other word for it. Like I said sex was usually his way of making it up to me but not that night. He slammed me against the wall of our apartment so hard that my head left a hole in it. He tore my clothes to get them off and he was so rough." She paused briefly and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I begged him to stop but I guess it fell on deaf ears. I could hardly breathe as he … he slammed into me … gripping my sides so hard that he left bruising on my hips."

Happy ran his hand gently up her arm. She was surprised at how comforting it was and equally surprised that it was Happy to whom she was finally confessing all this to.

"After that he threw me face down on the bed and did the same again but … well …" She couldn't bring herself to say it and she quickly looked away when he met her gaze. He just nodded acknowledging that he understood what the low life had done to her. "I know Tig and Ope both suspected something especially that first day." He said quietly. "I could tell how scared you were of him that night he came back."

"Please don't tell them. Especially the second part …" She wouldn't meet his eyes and he could tell she was ashamed.

"Hailey, none of it was your fault." He told her wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She met his gaze and was surprised at what she found there. Instead of the dark menace that usually resided in his eyes they held a softer more compassionate gaze.

"What'd you say?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"That made him snap. What'd you say?"

"I said that you'd probably start wondering where I was." She smiled.

He didn't know what came over him next. He moved his hand to the back of her head and brought her lips to his and kissed her. She pulled away, surprised as he met her questioning gaze before she leaned back in to kiss him back. It started out slow and explorative before quickly elevating to a hot and sensual kiss. Her hands travelled to the back of his neck to pull him closer and he pressed his against her back doing the same. She felt his tongue press hungrily against hers before she pulled away breathing hard.

"Stop Hap. What are we doing?" She asked.

"Getting along." He answered an almost mischievous sparkle in his eye. "Don't say you didn't like it."

She smiled. "Sure is a change from not getting along."

He smirked seeing a glint of lust in her eye.

"Come on, let's head back." He said swinging his leg over the bench and leading the way over to his bike, not knowing how far things would have gone had she not pulled away. She caught an odd look in his eye as he handed her his helmet. She couldn't quite decipher it and she couldn't quite make sense of the feelings that were starting to take hold of her as she wrapped her arms around his waist before he took off down the highway towards Charming.

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><p><strong>AN: So this chapter and the one that follows were originally one chapter but due to length (and let's face it suspense also!) I decided to split it into two. So you'll have to wait for the aftermath of Happy and Hailey's little moment and just what is going on in each of their heads. For now I'm gonna leave you all hanging for a little while. And please, please, please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So I figured because this chapter was already written it was too cruel to make you wait for it as it was originally a continuation of the previous chapter. Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter and hope you enjoy this one.**

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><p>They pulled up in the lot and he let her off before walking his bike backwards into its usual spot.<p>

"What was that back there Hap?" She asked as she passed his helmet back to him.

"Compassion." He answered still sitting astride his bike.

"What's happening between us?" She continued, feeling almost fearful of the emotions she had welling up inside of her.

"One kiss doesn't make you my old lady Princess." She smiled at his response knowing it was an acknowledgment of the fear he could see.

"What do we tell them?" She asked motioning towards the clubhouse.

"Let them think we still hate each other for now. I'm sure you can manage that." He answered, that smirk upon his face once more.

She gazed at him questioningly wondering how he felt about what had just transpired between them. He read her look and said "Let's both think on it a while before we decide where this is headed, Princess." Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the nickname roll off his tongue. His use of it was not malicious this time, but almost endearing. She still didn't know exactly how she felt about what had just happened but she did know that she wouldn't mind it happening again.

"Okay." She smiled a small smile. "In the meantime you're still an asshole Happy," she smirked. He watched her as she turned and stalked dramatically toward the clubhouse; hips swaggering in a show he knew was meant just for him. She turned and met his gaze and gave a slight flick of her head meaning she wanted him to follow. He was going to want to see this.

He took long strides to reach the door just behind her. "Stay behind just a little," She whispered "And follow my lead." She winked.

She strode into the clubhouse and stalked straight up to the bar where Tig and Chibs were seated.

"What the fuck was that all about?" She spat at the pair.

"Oh hey there Lovey. Did you and Happy have a nice little chat?" Chibs goaded her.

"What do you think?" She growled.

"Oh come on, Doll." Tig said, "You telling me you didn't sort things out?"

"Did you really think taking us both out there, winding him up with all your stories of what a selfish little shit I was and then fucking off was a good idea?"

"Wasn't it? I thought it was brilliant." Chibs may as well have given himself a pat on the back. All the while Happy hung back in the doorway with a smirk on his face. He almost believed how angry she was making herself out to be.

"You're fucking lucky the asshole didn't leave me out there!" Her voice was getting louder.

"Really? You wouldn't have done that would ya Hap?" Tig asked seeing Happy standing off to the side of the entry way.

"Nah. Sure was tempting though." He answered.

Hailey scowled at him as he came into the room.

"What's it gonna take for you two to get along?" Opie asked coming into the room from the chapel where he'd been speaking with Jax.

"I don't know ask him!" Hailey scowled. "Got anything else you wanna rip into me about?" She turned her attention to Happy.

"Nah, I think I've said enough Princess." He smirked making the nickname drip off his tongue with sarcasm. Hailey did her best to stifle a smile, as she remembered the way it had sounded earlier when he'd said it.

"Asshole!" She growled as she spun on her heel and stalked off to Opie's dorm room.

"What the fuck was that all about?" She heard Jax ask as she slammed the door behind her. She sank down to the floor her back against the door. She thought she'd done a pretty good job of convincing them that she and Happy still weren't getting along and as for whether or not they actually were she had no idea what that was back there at the diner.

She thought back upon the unexpected events that had transpired that afternoon. She had no idea why she had told Happy about losing her mom like that but she guessed that they were more alike in that regard than she had ever realized. She hadn't intended for her question about his mother to flip back upon her own experience. She'd never spoken out loud before about those last few weeks with her mother. And she'd had no intention of telling any of them about what Joel had done to her, least of all Happy, but he'd asked when she was already feeling so raw and vulnerable after speaking about her mother, and it had all come pouring out. She knew that he must have seen evidence of some of the things Joel had done to her over the years. She also knew that she could trust him. There'd been more than one occasion that she'd begged him not to go back to Opie about something. Today out at the diner he'd been so far removed from the belligerent Happy she'd grown used to that he had taken her somewhat off guard.

And when he'd kissed her she was surprised at how good and almost natural it felt, like all the energy they'd been putting into fighting with each other was being spent elsewhere. She felt her insides become hot and tingly as she thought back to the taste of his tongue against hers and knew that she wouldn't have been able to stop had she let it go on any longer. She could hardly believe this was the same man she had spent the better part of the last five years loathing. She knew that the feelings she had welling up inside of her were akin to lust.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a short, soft knock against the door. She knew it was Opie before he spoke. "Hailz?" he asked, "Alright if I come in?"

She moved aside to the wall. "Yeah, it's not locked."

He pushed the door open and looked around till his eyes rested upon her still seated on the floor her back against the wall. "Geez Kiddo. I'm sorry. I should never have agreed to their little plan." He said when he saw her mistaking her mood.

"Nah. It's okay Ope. I'm sorry I reacted like that. I know how annoying it must be for you all listening to me and Hap lay into each other all the time."

He frowned not quite willing to accept her apology. "Hailz, really it was a stupid idea. Did you talk at all or just argue?"

At first she didn't answer for just thinking about that kiss. "We talked a little but just talking didn't last long." She said deceptively. She didn't like lying to Opie and technically she wasn't lying just not telling the whole truth.

"Sorry Hailz." He said again.

"No don't apologize Ope. I'm sure you all meant well and I probably overreacted on coming back. We weren't really so at odds that he was gonna leave me there."

"But still Hailz, I should never have agreed to it, let alone taken part in it."

"Ope really I'm okay. In fact maybe Happy and I are actually a little closer to not tearing each other's throats out every second."

"How so?" he asked perplexed

"Let's just say we may have agreed to disagree somewhat."

"Does that mean less arguing?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I'm gonna have a shower before I go back out there okay?"

"Sure Hailz. See ya soon yeah?"

"Yeah."

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><p>A short time later, showered and changed, Hailey padded out to the common room. It was all but empty except for Happy.<p>

"Where is everybody?" She asked.

"Outside." He answered. She couldn't help but notice him look her up and down.

"Did they believe my performance?" She asked a slight smile on her face.

He nodded in response a smirk on his face and an amused look in his eyes. "You put on quite a show Princess" he said. She found herself no longer loathing the nickname quite so much. Once they'd come back from the diner his use of it was no longer disdainful.

She placed her hands on the back of the couch opposite to where he was sitting and leaned into it. Standing there and watching him, she suddenly wanted nothing more than to walk across the short distance separating them, straddle him and kiss him some more. She closed her eyes and took a quick and sharp breath before opening them again, steadying her senses and pulling herself away from the fantasy that had engulfed them. He watched her and knew the effect he was beginning to have on her.

"Really?" She asked.

"Go see for yourself. I assure you, you'll be quite the centre of attention." He smirked.

He took stock of the unconscious swagger of her hips as she made her way to the door. _Hell she's sexy. _He thought and not for the first time. She glanced back at him as she placed her hand on the handle and met his gaze as it followed her. She saw a hint of lust in the perplexed look upon his face and knew he was no closer than she was to figuring out what had transpired between them.

She stepped through the door and saw them all sitting on and about the tables outside the clubhouse beers in hand or placed aside empty. Tig turned and saw her and gave Chibs a nudge to indicate to him that he should say something to the glowering woman.

Chibs turned and saw the small woman standing in the doorway, hands on her hips in a stance that made her appear taller than she was. "So ah, maybe my idea wasn't that great, Lovey." He offered in way of an apology.

"Ya think?" She asked as she stepped toward them all.

"Yeah. Sure was a hoot seeing the look on your face though."

Hailey shook her head and a smile crept to the corners of her mouth. No matter how she tried she couldn't stay angry at the Scotsman. "Yeah. Well I'm back here in one piece and just maybe things won't be so heated between me and Hap now."

"Ah so you did work things out?" Tig asked.

"Not really but I think we can agree to disagree and p'raps stay out of each other's way." She answered looking across to Piney who had the biggest smirk on his face after whispering something to Clay who now shared the old man's smirk.

"Weren't you brandishing a gun and trying to kill Clay just yesterday Pop?" She asked of her father.

"Water under the bridge Hail." he answered her.

"What are you two laughing at anyways?" She asked.

"I was just saying to Clay, It's like history repeating itself watchin' you and Happy!" Piney answered his daughter.

"Don't start Old Man." She warned as she stalked off to her car.

"History? What history would that be?" She heard Tig ask and looked back to see Jax's smirk as the penny dropped and he figured out what the Old Man was referring too.


	9. Chapter 9

Preparations for Gemma's latest family dinner were well under way. The Samcro matriarch loved doting on her men and she couldn't help but feel the need to make up for her last failed attempt. With the way things were going and the club set to go into lockdown the following day she wanted one last opportunity to force them all to take a break from it all.

"Hailey, could you give me a hand Sweetheart?" She asked almost as soon as she saw her walk through the door, fresh from a shift at the hospital.

"Sure Gemma." Hailey followed the Samcro Matriarch back to the kitchen.

"Foods all done. Tara will bring it all out in a sec once she's done settling Abel. Come help me set the table." Gemma ordered.

"Sure." Hailey answered heading toward the sideboard where she knew the good plates were kept.

"What's with you and Happy these days, baby? You're no longer tearin' strips off each other." She asked the young girl she'd watch grow up as she carried an armload of plates across to the large dining table. Donna had done a pretty good job at helping her turn out okay considering the defiant and challenging child she'd been when she'd first come to live in Charming.

"Nah. I guess we've learnt to stay out of each other's way" she said looking out the door to see Happy talking with Tig.

The older woman followed her gaze. "It's more than that sweetheart. Something happen out at the diner when they left the two of you out there?"

Hailey sighed. She should have known that Gemma would pick up on the change between them before anyone else would. While they hadn't been laying into each other since that day, they had done their best to stay away from each other more because neither of them was ready to address what had happened between them than for the truce they'd claimed as a cover story. No one had been any the wiser to it, except Gemma. After years of practice Gemma was an expert at picking up on the things that often went unnoticed. "Not really Gem. We just agreed to stay out of each other's way." Hailey answered the woman she'd known her entire life, walking around the table and putting a plate at each place.

"You're not fooling me sweetheart. You and Happy have never had a kind word to say to each other and you used to be able to cut the tension with a knife when you two were in the same room. I'm not feelin' that tonight. You haven't said a word to each other the last few days but I'm guessing there's something going on that the rest of us aren't seeing. And he's not glowering at you right now." Gemma said observantly as she followed behind her laying out cutlery.

Hailey glanced up and met the gaze of the man she'd spent the majority of her life fighting with. Gemma was right. There was no malice in his gaze, only quiet disposition as he studied her from across the room. She looked back at Gemma who had a quiet, knowing smile upon her face.

"Gemma, there is nothing going on between me and Happy. We may have had a little moment out at the diner that day but that was it. Nothing will come of it." She confessed.

"A little moment huh? That look on his face tells me there's a hell of a lot more going on than a little moment."

Hailey sighed. There was no shifting Gemma off the scent of something once she'd had it and she knew the woman who'd had more than a hand in helping raise her wouldn't let up. She cast a glare across the room at Happy who only smirked back. She had no idea what he was playing at.

"Is that all the food Gemma?" Tara asked as she interrupted the pair bringing a large platter out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I think so baby." Gemma answered her. "Oh wait, there's a salad in the fridge. Could you go get it sweetheart?" Gemma said addressing Hailey.

"Sure, Gem."

Upon returning from the kitchen, a large salad bowl in hand, Hailey saw that the only remaining spot at the table was next to Happy. She glowered at him and he smirked back. She really didn't know what he was playing at. First letting Gemma see him all but checking her out and now this. She scowled as she took a seat next to him.

"Is ah there gonna be a half time show with you two sitting together?" Juice asked.

"I was wonderin' the same thing Juicy." Chibs piped in.

"Don't worry. We'll be good." Hailey glowered. She all but jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand against her thigh. She turned ready to start in on him despite her previous statement till she saw the half amused glint in his eye. "Relax, Princess." He said quiet enough that only she could hear it. She couldn't help but smile as she gazed into those dark as sin eyes and she had to admit she didn't actually mind the feeling of his hand stroking her leg beneath the table. If anyone sitting at that table noticed the quiet exchange between the pair they didn't comment on it. Hailey figured she and Happy were one step closer to figuring out just what this was developing between them.

Hailey cast her eye around the room at the group of outlaw bikers and their old ladies, for those who had them. She was glad to be home. There was however one person missing. Lyla. She knew that Tara had made her feel less than welcome at the first family dinner she had attended but things had been good between her and Opie lately. She'd moved into Opie's place and was helping out with Kenny and Ellie. It seemed odd to Hailey that she wouldn't be here. She'd corner Opie later she thought as the usual dinner table banter ensued.

Once plates were emptied and it became clear everyone had had their fill, Gemma shooed them away to begin clearing up. It was expected that the old ladies help and not that she was anyone's old lady Hailey being a female member of this crazy family was expected to help also. "Mind if I chat to Opie first Gem? I wanna catch him before he goes."

"Sure sweetheart. Find out what's weighing down that big heart o' his." Gemma said as she looked across to the bear of a man sitting almost forlornly amongst his brothers.

"That was my intention." Hailey frowned seeing him.

"Come to polish my knob have you Doll?" Tig smirked as Hailey approached the sofa where he and Ope were sitting.

"Keep dreamin' Tiggy!" Hailey laughed.

"Do you mind brother? She is my sister after all." Opie said not unkindly.

"Sister or not Ope, she's still a hot little minx." Tig said patting his lap invitingly.

"A hot little minx who will never end up in a biker's bed if I have anything to do with it!" Opie quipped back as he watched Tig continue his usual banter with his sister. He knew there was nothing in it and the two of them found it fun but even so it didn't mean he had to like it.

"Not tonight Tigger." Hailey turned down the offer of his lap which she had no doubt would result in his favorite game of trying to feel her up. "Now clear off so I can talk to Ope. Alone" she added when he appeared not to get the message. "Well you're no fun tonight, Doll." He said getting up to leave.

"What's up Kiddo?" Opie asked his kid sister once Tig had left casting puppy dog eyes back at Hailey. She blew him a kiss a little scornfully to which he raised his eyebrow and winked. She shook her head and turned her attention to her brother.

"I was gonna ask you the same question Ope. Where's Lyla?"

"She didn't wanna come tonight. Said she didn't feel like playing happy families."

"I thought things were heating up between the two of you?"

"Yeah they are. I'm not so sure she feels real comfortable amongst this lot yet."

"And Tara?"

"Yeah. They don't really see eye to eye."

"That's not all of it though is it?"

Opie sighed. "I love Lyla, Hailz. I really do but I miss Donna so god damned much."

"I know Ope. I miss her too. You and her more or less raised me when I came back here. When she died it was like losing my mother all over again. My point is though Ope you gotta let her go if you want Lyla to know how much you love her."

"Yeah. I know Hailz. It's just so hard."

"I know it's not the same but I had to let go of my mother before I could let Donna into my heart Ope. You told me that remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. I spose you're right." Opie said with some resignation as he remembered how much his sister had struggled to accept Donna into her life when she'd begun taking on a mothering role with the wayward girl she had been.

"Donna was a great person Ope. I have mostly her to thank for how I turned out. I might have been a little shit around the clubhouse but without her around I would never have done well enough in school to be where I am now. Everyone fits into our lives in a certain place Ope. Right now you need to figure out where Lyla fits."

Opie smiled. "Donna sure did a good job raising you Hailz."

"I'm sure I didn't make it easy!" She smiled back. "Promise you'll sort out where you're at with Lyla?"

"Yeah. I will Hailz."

"And the kids too? I meant what I said the other day Ope. They need you."

"Yeah I'm on it lil sis! Now get off my back will ya?"

Hailey smiled. "Love you Ope." She said placing her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Love you too Hailz." He pulled his sister into a one arm embrace.

"I think I'm gonna head off. I'm pretty tired after work today."

"Okay kiddo. Drive safe." He said to her as she headed toward the front door.

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><p>She didn't notice Happy behind her until he'd pinned her to the driver's side door of her car. She opened her mouth to scream and felt his hand clap over it. "Relax Princess! It's me!" he said turning her around to face him.<p>

She pulled his hand away from her mouth. "Forgive me. The last time I was pinned against somewhere in the dark my asshole ex tried to rape me!"

"And who saved your ass?" he glowered not unkindly as he curled his fingers around her hand that still held his.

"You did Killer." She found herself flirting hoping that she hadn't misread his advances.

"Forever in my debt aren't you Princess?" he said placing his other hand behind her hips and pulling her against him. She took a shaky breath as she took stock of the lustful look in his dark eyes.

"Let me know when I can start repaying that debt." She said placing her hand on his ass pressing herself closer against him feeling his growing hard on pressed against her belly.

"You really are a little minx aren't you?" he breathed against her letting his lips brush across her cheek. She closed her eyes and let a soft moan escape her lips as his lips brushed across hers.

"What do you think Ope's gonna do if he finds out about this?" His deep gravelly voice almost whispered.

"Probly kick your ass to next week." She whispered back.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "That's a risk I'm willing to take Princess."

She felt her insides begin to burn with desire as she smiled a seductive grin in answer before they both heard the front door of the Morrow house open.

"We're on lockdown tomorrow Princess. Make sure you're there." He said brushing his lips through her hair as he pulled away from her.

"Don't think I have a choice." She answered steadying herself against her car as she watched him walk away to his bike. He glanced back at her one eye brow raised and a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth, lust filling his eyes before they both heard the heavy footfalls of the approach of one of his brothers.

"Ye a 'right there Lovey?" She heard Chibs familiar voice ring out across the night.

"Yeah fine." She answered distractedly. He followed her gaze across the yard to where Happy was readying to take off.

"You two have words again?" The Scotsman asked.

"What? Yeah. Something like that." Hailey answered still trying to get a hold of her senses. She didn't fail to notice the odd look he was giving her.

"Ye sure yer a'right? You seem kinda … shaken Lovey." He pressed.

"Yeah. I'm fine. He just took me by surprise is all." Hailey answered as she opened her car door. "See ya tomorrow Chibs." She said getting in.

"Aye. See ya." Answered the Scotsman clearly curious about what he had just missed interrupting.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for the reviews on my last two chapters. Glad you all seem to like where it's headed. Now I have a number in mind and I've decided I'm not going to update again until I reach that number in reviews. And bear in mind that about the next three chapters are written and ready to go. Please read, love and review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews. You completely surpassed the number I had in mind so here's the next chapter far sooner than I expected to put it up. I can't promise that the next one will be as quick though. **

**Also I think I need to clarify some things. The timeframe of my last chapter was perhaps a little vague and takes place several days after the previous chapter as alluded to early in this chapter. Although I delve into this a little deeper in the next few chapters, my Happy is very pensive and calculating. He does everything for a reason and let's face it Gemma picks up on everything. And as far as asking Hailey what she thinks Opie is going to do, he knows it's not going to end well when Opie finds out. Like I said the next few chapters delve a little deeper into both Happy and Hailey's minds so please bear with me as they figure this out, perhaps a little steamily along the way.**

**Anyways this chapter introduces another two OC's one of which may stick around in some way.**

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><p>Growing up Hailey had always done her best to distance herself from club business. Samcro was her family but she had no desire to get dragged down in the darker side of things and Opie was more than happy to not enlighten her. As far as he was concerned if she was to stay in Charming the less she knew the safer she was and he liked it that way. At the same time though he didn't like it when the club was on lockdown. It was the one time he could tell his sister was grappling with her decision to not be told details. She knew enough to know that shit had gone so far south that family and all directly involved with Samcro were in potential danger and he knew that the potential ramifications of that scared her.<p>

The room was abuzz with activity, in preparation of what was to be a big day for Samcro as he sat watching her across the room where she pretended to be reading a medical journal. Since their trip out to the diner several days earlier she'd been somewhat disengaged like she had other things on her mind. He figured she was getting used to being back here and settling into a new job and all. She and Happy hadn't been laying into each other at all and had actually been sticking to their word and avoiding each other which had been a welcome relief to all; however he'd be damned if he hadn't just caught them making eyes at each other across the room. He knew his sister well enough to know the look she'd just given Happy and he had returned had absolutely nothing to do with anger. The look he had just seen conveyed genuine concern from his sister toward the man she claimed to hate. He didn't know what had gone down between them at that diner but he'd bet it was more than either of them were sharing.

* * *

><p>Lockdowns scared her. That was a fact. It was the only time Hailey was forced to see what this family of hers really was – a group of outlaw bikers and that at times brought the heat of the law among other things crashing down upon them and those closest to them. She was quite happy not knowing the ins and outs of the club but when it came to a lockdown she knew serious stuff was afoot and no one ever knew what the end of the day would bring.<p>

Until the previous night she and Happy hadn't spoken since the day at the diner and whether or not that was diffusing attention away from them or making the others suspicious she didn't know. Despite their declaration to avoid each other she'd often found herself exchanging looks with him across the room. At first they were plaintive questioning looks, each wondering the others thoughts of what had transpired between them; but they'd quickly turned to furtive and perusing, each at one point or another catching the other out. She felt sure that his actions the night before had aroused suspicion amongst his brothers. She still couldn't explain the feelings she was beginning to have for the outlaw but she knew after last night it was at least reciprocated. Hailey grew increasingly anxious as she watched the hive of activity that ensued around her. She sat with a medical journal in front of her but she knew he could tell she wasn't reading it. She fixed him with a worried questioning stare. Her heart skipped a beat as he approached her before heading out the door behind the others that were slowly starting to file out the door. He paused briefly next to her, just long enough to whisper "Don't worry Princess. I'll be back for us to sort our shit out," his lips brushing her ear, before he made his way to the door.

She couldn't help but wonder what the day would bring and in truth she was still happy not knowing despite the ball of worry that was forming in the pit of her stomach. Nothing however prepared her for what she was told at the end of that day.

* * *

><p>She watched from the Clubhouse door as dusk was falling and they started to ride back in. The set of their shoulders, the slowness of their walks towards her and the harrowing look she saw in her brothers eyes as he approached told her things had not gone as planned.<p>

She looked toward the gate waiting for two more bikes. But they didn't follow.

"Where's Jax?" she asked, "And Half Sac?"

"Hailz," Opie said as he approached, "I know you said you don't wanna know about club business but we have no choice but to tell you what went on today."

And it was with that, that he placed his arm around her and led her into the clubroom and sat her down as she watched the rest of his forlorn and road weary brothers follow suit. With a few stern looks and words to those that hung about the clubroom it quickly cleared out. Opie gave a nod to Tig who sat across from her. He'd been chosen to break the news of the day's events to her.

"Hailz, things didn't go too well today. We took care of what we needed to but in doing so there was some unexpected backlash. Gemma is on the run with Unser."

"What? Why?" Hailey was incredulous. After all the years she'd known her she had never known the Samcro queen to be directly in trouble with the law.

"She was framed for the murder of one our Irish contacts, Edmond Hayes. That's all you need to know." Tig answered. "But that's not all. His father, Cameron kidnapped Abel we think in retaliation. He killed Half Sac before he tied up Tara and took him. Jax is in a bad way."

"Oh my god." She murmured softly as she looked around at the sea of faces surrounding her. All eyes were crestfallen and looking around the room or at each other as they grappled with how best to approach this new situation that had befallen them, all except one. The dark as sin eyes stared straight at her demanding her attention.

"So what happens now?" She asked, holding his gaze but it was Clay that answered.

"We have a lot of shit to figure out but first and foremost is finding where Abel is and getting him home. Someone will go keep an eye on Gemma and you need to have someone with you all the time. Whenever you're working, whatever you're doing one of us or a must escort you. You understand?"

"Yeah." She said quietly.

"Church in an hour." Clay declared before rising from his seat and heading towards the garage. The others all rose one by one and either headed toward the bar or into the arms of one of the sweet butts milling about.

"You got a minute Kiddo?" Opie asked his sister as he watched Happy rise from where he sat and head toward the dorm rooms.

"Yeah, I guess." Hailey sighed still letting everything she'd just been told sink in.

"What's with you and Happy?"

"Nothing." She lied.

"I saw you making eyes at him this morning before we all went out Hailey. What was that?"

She sighed. "You know lockdowns scare the shit out of me Opie. For some crazy reason I do actually trust Happy. I just wanted some reassurance that everything was gonna be okay."

"That all it is?"

"Yes Ope."

"Cos I swear Hailey if there's anything else going on I'll castrate him."

"Ope, you're the reason I've had him following me for five years. Why wouldn't I trust him?"

"That better be all it is Hailey" Opie answered. "Where's Lyla?"

"Working I think. Juice escorted her a little while ago." She answered.

"I'll bet he did." Opie frowned as he rose and headed to the door.

Hailey headed toward the kitchen to give herself a few minutes to get a hold of her emotions that threatened to crumble out of control. She stood steadying herself against the bench, her back to the door before she felt her hands begin to stop trembling. She turned to leave and head towards Opie's dorm room. Fumbling with the key in her pocket she ran straight into Happy's rock hard abs as she neared it. He placed his hands at her shoulders, steadying her.

"You okay, Princess?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine." She said trying to move past him.

"Not so fast Princess."

She glared up at him in response. "Hey I thought we were past that." He said

"Then where are we at Hap? What's with all the looks all week and what was with that stare down out there? And last night? What the fuck was that?" She demanded.

"Relax Princess. You're so edgy."

"Yeah well I think I'm entitled to be with all the shit that's just gone down." She growled.

"Whoa. Princess. Enough. Unlock the door." He commanded her. There was something about the tone of his voice that she knew not to question. She opened the door and he shoved her through it, slamming it before pinning her against it.

"Does Opie know about us?" he demanded.

"Are your balls still intact?" She quipped back.

He smiled a glowering half smile at her before absorbing her lips with his own. She was somewhat taken aback but returned his kiss before pulling away.

"It's not gonna be pretty when he does find out Hap."

"I know that Princess." He said as he brushed aside her belongings on the desk next to the door and hoisted her up onto it. He pulled her to him before pressing his lips back against hers. He knew that he'd been fighting the desire to do this for quite some time. She kissed him back, for a moment, relishing the unexpected softness of his lips. His tongue pressed imploringly against her lips as she parted them slightly allowing him to plunge it into her mouth. He ran his hands up the inside of her thighs, up under the leg of her shorts before she reached up and pressed her palms against his shoulders pushing him back.

"Hap, what is this?" She asked.

"You can't tell me you're not enjoyin' it." he smirked.

She smiled. "Seriously Hap, where is this going?"

"Quit thinkin' and just kiss me Princess." He said absorbing her lips once more. She lost herself in his kiss after that. Somewhat surprised at what an amazing kisser he was she let her hands roam across his perfectly toned and muscular body and allowed his to do the same over her petite yet perfectly curvaceous one. She grew increasingly hot and wet between her legs and it was on the tip of her tongue to beg him for more.

"Happy, Church brother." The Scotsman's voice bellowed across the clubhouse. Happy pulled away from Hailey, took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Gotta go Princess." He whispered taking in her flushed cheeks and lust filled eyes. Even in a whisper his voice was gravelly and sexy as hell. He turned for the door and she slid down off the desk to follow him out.

She stood in the doorway and watched as he headed down the hallway. "Hap?" She called after him. He turned at the sound of her voice and gave her a questioning look. "I have a shift in an hour."

He nodded. "Someone'll tail you."

"You?" she asked quietly.

"Probly not Princess." He took in the crestfallen look on her face as he rounded the corner toward the clubroom. He knew that whatever this was developing between them he wasn't going to be able to hide it from his brothers for much longer.

Hailey headed back into Opie's dorm to take a shower and get ready for her shift at the hospital. She enjoyed her work despite working with some seriously ill children it made her day if she could bring a smile to the face of some her sickest patients.

She stood under the stream of hot water and allowed herself a moment to imagine Happy's hands upon her body once more. She could no longer deny that she was attracted to him in a big way and probably had been for some time. She had to admit that she had grown somewhat used to having him watch her back all the years she'd lived in Tacoma. He hadn't always been around keeping tabs on her but whenever she spotted him across a road or a parking lot sitting casually on his bike eyes cast in her direction she had felt safer. For a long time she had denied that thought and told herself how unfair it was that Opie didn't trust her but what she would never admit to either biker was that she had a long time ago grown somewhat fond of Happy. The need to be escorted to where she needed to go scared her almost as much as lockdown and she realized she'd prefer him tailing her over anyone else.

She emerged from the shower and dressed for work before heading out to the clubroom to await her escort.

A short time later they emerged from Chapel, grimfaced and heading off in differing directions. Happy headed over to Hailey and placed his hand on her shoulder. "C'mon Princess. Let's get you to work." He said.

Hailey smiled as she followed him out. She cast him a furtive glance as she headed toward her car while he went to his bike. She knew he must have personally requested to be her tail and truth be told they probably hadn't batted an eyelid since he'd been tailing her for so long now at Opie's request. She glanced in her rearview mirror as she pulled out of the lot and felt an overwhelming sense of comfort to see him following behind her.

He pulled up next to her in the hospital parking lot and waited while she got out. He placed his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. "Dunno how much longer this is gonna stay between us Princess. 'Specially when you're personally requesting me to tail your ass."

"And when you're cornering me in hallways and dragging me into dorm rooms?" She grinned back.

He didn't answer her but just kissed her forehead before turning her towards the entrance to walk her in. "Someone'll be here when you're done 'kay?"

"'Kay." She watched him turn away and head back towards his bike.

* * *

><p>As much as Hailey enjoyed her work night shifts were hard and this was her first since starting at St Thomas nearly a week ago. It was at night when some parents went home that the kids on the paed ward were left alone with their demons. Sleepless nights brought out their worries and nightmares were not uncommon.<p>

"Hi Hailey." Ava greeted her as she clocked on for her shift. She had worked with Ava during her first shift earlier in the week. "First night shift here hey?"

"Yeah." Hailey answered. "Anything I should know about?"

"Not really. Katie Lorenzo's mom has gone home so she might be a little lonely. She said Katie likes you. Other than that it should be a pretty straight forward night."

"Okay." Hailey answered taking a seat at the nurse's station to look over some paper work. It wasn't long before one of the patient call lights lit up.

"That's Katie darl. Do you wanna go?" Ava said to Hailey.

"Sure. She hasn't been doing so well lately has she?" Hailey said looking up from the papers she'd been reading.

"No. It's not looking too good for the little lass," Ava answered frowning slightly.

"Okay." Hailey said with a sigh as she made her way to young girl's room. She was 6 years old and had leukemia which had not responded to recent treatment.

"Hey sweetie." Hailey greeted the little girl as she entered her room and saw her sitting up in her bed. "You're supposed to be sleeping Honey."

"Hailey!" The little girl immediately brightened. "I can't sleep but I'm glad you're here."

"Well me too. I was kinda hoping I'd get to hang out with you tonight Katie." Hailey smiled at the little girl. "How about you lay back and we get those covers back over you?"

"Okay Hailey." The little girl settled back against her pillows and allowed Hailey to pull the covers back up over her.

"What's bothering you tonight sweetie?" Hailey asked.

"Mommy said today that I might die. I'm scared Hailey." The little girl confessed a tear rolling down her cheek. Hailey sighed and fixed her best encouraging smile upon the girl. This was often the hardest part of her job and an added reason why she wasn't keen on night shifts. With no one else to talk to all the troubles and worries of the day often came out at night.

"And what did she say would happen if you do honey?" Hailey asked, not wanting to tell the girl anything that her mother may not have addressed or believed in.

"She said that I'd go to heaven to be with Poppy." She said.

"Is Poppy your grandpa?"

The little girl nodded. "And she said that God needed me to be an angel just like Poppy is now."

Hailey smiled. She wasn't quite sure what exactly she believed in since losing her mother at such a young age but she liked to think that there was another place out there for us once we pass. In talking to young children about death, angels and heaven were often the easiest to relate to.

"Well you know honey that God only chooses the best people to be his angels." She said.

"That's what mommy said. And she said that Poppy needs a friend but she was crying when she said it." The little girl seemed confused. "Why is Mommy sad if Poppy will look after me?"

Hailey smiled. "Your mommy knows that your Poppy will look after you honey but she will miss having you here."

"But she knows that I'll always be looking down on her." The little girl said.

"It sounds like your mommy has told you everything you need to know sweetie." Hailey said with a smile.

"Yeah. Do you know anyone who died?"

Hailey gave a sad smile and nodded. "My mom died when I was just a little girl."

"And is she up in heaven looking down at you?"

"Yes. I think she is at least sometimes I can feel her eyes on me, like when I'm happy I think she would be happy too."

The little girl seemed satisfied with the conversation and snuggled down into her pillows. "Hailey please stay till I'm asleep."

"Of course Katie I'm right here."

"Can you talk till I fall asleep? I like your voice."

Hailey smiled. It was often so hard not to get too attached to these little people.

"Sure. What should we talk about?" She asked.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Katie asked.

"Oh … well" Hailey started slightly taken aback, "Not really."

"What do you mean not really?"

"Well it's a little complicated plus we didn't used to like each other."

The little girl giggled. "How can someone you don't like be your boyfriend?"

"Like I said it's kind of complicated Katie. But he helped me one day and we discovered that we kind of do like each other after all."

"Tell me about him. I bet he's nice if he likes you."

Hailey smiled. Nice and Happy Lowman were not words she would typically put in a sentence together.

"Well he is kind of gruff and seems grumpy a lot of the time actually."

"Then why do you like him?"

"He seems grumpy because he doesn't really like showing his feelings, but he is very loyal, which means he would do anything for his family and the people that he cares about. And when he isn't grumpy he has the cutest little smirk that lights up his almost black eyes. When he smiles at me it's like …" Hailey trailed off as she noticed the even breathing of the little girl and saw that her eyes were peacefully shut. She smiled at how sweet she looked as she rose to leave the room.

"Is she okay?" Ava asked as Hailey returned to the nurse's station.

"Yeah, just a little worried about stuff." Hailey responded.

The other nurse nodded. "That's what makes night shift on this ward hard isn't it?"

"Yeah … shit … that's Lucas Pond's room" Hailey said looking to the switchboard. "He's on the heart monitor right?"

"Yes. Let's go." Ava said quickly making her way to the young boy's room. Hailey quickly followed her only to find that the young boy's heart rate was crashing. Ava hit the code blue button on the wall. "Call Dr Knowles." She ordered Hailey who ran from the room to make the call as an orderly and another nurse came running into the room past her.

A short time later Tara Knowles came bustling in by which time the young boy had been stabilized but she checked him over anyway. She came out of his room and addressed the two nurses. "He's stable now but have him booked in for an ECG and MRI for first thing in the morning. I need to check that nothing was missed in surgery today."

"Sure I'll do that now." Ava answered the pediatric surgeon.

"Hailey? Do you have a minute?" Tara asked.

"Sure." Hailey answered as she followed Tara a short way down the corridor knowing that this was unlikely to have anything to do with St Thomas.

"Did they tell you what happened today?" The older woman asked.

"Yes. Are you okay?" Hailey asked. "Sorry I didn't even think when Ava said to call you in."

"It's okay Hailey. I was on call. But yeah I'm okay. A little shaken but it's Jax I'm worried about. Could you ask the guys to come over in the morning? I think he needs his brothers." Tara asked.

"Sure. I'll mention it as soon as I get in. My shift finishes at 6."

"Thanks Hailey."

Hailey watched as Dr Tara Knowles walked down the corridor away from her. She couldn't help but notice how emotionally exhausted the other woman seemed. She wondered if that was the path she was destined to go down herself should things continue between her and Happy. She'd always vowed to herself that her father and brother would always be her only connection to Samcro and she would never go down the old lady path. She didn't want to be presumptuous about where she and Happy were headed but if things became serious the thought of being anyone of importance to Happy Lowman both excited her and terrified her all at the same time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: so I hope you still like where this is going. Also in Hailey's conversation with Katie, please remember she'd describing Happy Lowman to a 6 year old; he's a hard nut to crack let alone describing his personality to a child!**


	11. Chapter 11

His distinct muscular and manly form was there to greet her as she stepped out into the early morning light. She gazed out at the familiar form leaning against his ride arms crossed over his chiseled chest. She noted as she crossed the lot towards him that his shoulders lacked the aggressive set they used to hold whenever she'd looked across to find him watching or tailing her. She was sure also that behind his dark sunglasses his eyes lacked the menace that usually beheld them.

"Wasn't expecting you again Hap." She greeted him.

"Get used to it Princess." He said placing a hand on her cheek. "For now and until the foreseeable future I'll be your tail."

She smirked at his inability to make that sound like a problem to him. "Can't say I really mind you watching my ass these days, Hap." She flirted.

"I'd noticed." He said as he lowered his hand to squeeze it pulling her close to him.

"What is this Hap? What's going on between us?" She murmured against his ear as she felt his breath hot against her neck.

"Will you stop askin' me that and just go with it?" He growled into her ear.

He felt her hips quiver beneath his hands as he pulled her towards him. "Oh fuck Hap," she murmured. "You're making me wet."

"I know." He said nipping at her ear before crushing his lips against hers.

"Oh, hell Happy." She said pulling her lips away.

"Seems we have an audience Princess." He said, his eyes looking over her shoulder.

Hailey followed his gaze and saw that Ava was standing on the steps of St Thomas looking in their direction. She began to blush at being caught out in the arms of a biker especially one as badass looking as Happy Lowman. He saw the pink of her blush spread across her cheeks and chipped her chin back towards him for one last kiss before steering her toward her car.

"Oh I nearly forgot." She said as she opened the door. "Tara said Jax needs his brothers."

He nodded. "I'll tail you back and let Clay know."

He watched her climb into her car still having no idea what it was about the girl that had begun to make his dick so hard for her but he knew he had to nail her and soon.

* * *

><p>It was several days later when Hailey sat in the clubhouse with Opie, Chibs and Jax as they brought her up to speed on the whereabouts of Abel. Happy was perched on a backwards facing chair near enough to be involved in their conversation and Tig and Kozik were embroiled in a rather heated discussion with Clay, each blaming the other for something that had gone wrong earlier that day. Hailey had no desire to know what.<p>

Three new prospects had been voted in and Happy had been patched in as a redwood original. He hadn't failed to catch the gleam of lust in Hailey's eyes when she'd seen his 'Nomad' patch replaced with the 'Redwood Original' patch. He knew it wouldn't be long before his intentions with her became crystal clear to the rest of his brothers so he was done with trying to keep too much distance from her. Besides he'd been appointed her tail and he took that very seriously.

"Belfast?" Hailey asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Gemma had a call from a woman called Maureen Ashby telling her that Abel was there. We hadn't told her he was even missing." Jax filled her in.

"Shit. So that's why she wound up in the hospital?"

"Yeah. Her heart couldn't take the shock of it all." Jax sighed.

"So you're all going to Ireland to find Abel? When do you leave?" Hailey asked.

"We head out tomorrow morning."

"I wanna come with you." She said.

"NO!" Opie and Happy both growled simultaneously. The two men eyeballed each other. Opie wondering why the Tacoma Killer was suddenly so invested in the welfare of his sister, and Happy realizing he'd just made it very clear that something was going on between them. He hadn't wanted it to come out like this.

"With Gemma in the hospital and on her way to prison in a couple of days you're gonna need a female presence there for Abel." Hailey tried to explain her case and also hoped her words would cut the tension that had erupted between her brother and Happy.

"No Hailey. I'm not letting you go." Opie said still looking at Happy waiting for his brother to explain himself.

"And I don't wanna be held responsible for you gettin' your ass in trouble or killed over there." The suddenly glowering man growled. Hailey could see through his belligerence to the relief that he'd held their cover for now and Opie seemed satisfied with his answer.

"Jax," Hailey started to plead.

"No Hailey. Opie and Hap are right. I can't let you go. You'll stay behind with Kozik." Jax said firmly.

Hailey sighed as she looked across to the blonde haired biker still in a heated discussion with Tig. She didn't mind Kozik but she couldn't understand why he and Tig didn't get along. As far as she knew it had something to do with a dog. I mean seriously a dog was the reasoning behind two grown men at such odds with each other?

"Alright." She sighed, "But only if I don't have to settle any teenage squabbles between those two."

Jax gave a small guffaw. "Tiggy is coming with us."

"Thank heavens for that." Hailey answered casting a furtive glance across to Happy who was rising from his seat.

"I'm gonna head out to Bakersfield later, check in on Ma before we leave."

"Sure Hap." Jax said as the sound of a squad car siren penetrated the walls of the clubhouse quickly followed by the door being pushed in unceremoniously. "Everybody down."

Hailey barely had time to register what was going on before she felt the pressure of a body pushing her to the ground and laying against her, a large muscular body that she was growing rather fond of. She looked around into those dark as sin eyes feeling an unexpected heat in her belly at their closeness.

"What's going on?" She asked quietly.

"Police raid, Princess." He rasped.

"What for?"

"The less you know the better."

She glanced around to be sure none of his brothers could see her before giving him her best devilish grin. "Not complaining about where you are right now."

"You're gonna get me into trouble Princess."

"But I guarantee it'll be worth it." She said as she felt his arms tightening around her.

"What am I gonna do with you, Princess?"

"Whatever you want to Killer." She flirted shamelessly.

"When this is over I'm headed to Bakersfield. I'll deal with you when I get back."

"I look forward to it." She smirked.

* * *

><p>Later on that night Hailey found herself sitting at the bar anxiously awaiting Happy's return. So much had been going on around the club that the closest they had been since their encounter the day Abel went missing had been during the raid when Happy had pinned her to the ground. He'd escorted her to and from her shifts at the hospital and she had continued to flirt shamelessly with him. The sexual tension between them had elevated to the point that just looking at him made her burn between her legs.<p>

When he finally came through the door he walked straight past her without a sideways glance and headed straight to his dorm room. She knew something was up and should probably have known better than to follow him. "Hap?" She called through his door after she'd knocked.

"Not now Princess." Came his belligerent reply.

"You're gonna have to let me in Hap or they're all gonna hear me."

"For fuck's sake Hailz." She heard the door unlock before it swung open. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into his room before slamming it shut and pinning her against it. He glowered at her in a way that he hadn't for weeks. "Hailey I know why you're here and it's not gonna happen."

She shuddered at his use of her name rather than his nickname for her and at the menacing glare in his eyes but couldn't bring herself to look away. "But Hap what happened? I mean earlier today you said …"

"That was earlier. If we do this now Princess I'm gonna hurt you and I don't wanna do that." She was relieved at the softening of his tone and the use of his nickname for her. It meant his anger although still seething was no longer directed at her. "Okay," she said as she placed her hands against his muscular chest that she wanted so badly to devour. She gently pushed him away from her and placed her hand on the door to open it. "I'll leave you be then." She said opening the door enough to be able to edge through it.

"Princess, wait."

She turned back towards him.

"Ma's not doing so good and it makes me so damn angry coz she doesn't deserve it." She placed her hand on his arm as he continued. "I didn't mean to scare you. We okay?"

"Yeah Hap. We're okay." She raised herself onto her tiptoes and risked placing a kiss against his lips.

"I just wanna do this right." He said.

"I know Hap. You tailing my ass to work in the morning?"

"Wouldn't be anywhere else Princess."

She trailed her hand down his arm and let it linger momentarily before giving him a sad yet understanding smile and turning down the hallway back to her own dorm. He knew that smile spoke volumes for both what she had been through and for understanding of what he was facing.

Happy Lowman was a private man. He didn't like other people knowing his business and as a result he often came across as intimidating to others. His brothers knew him well enough to know when to leave him to stew and he knew they always had his back. He had never let a woman into his life in the way he'd begun to let Hailey in. He had every intention of fucking her to oblivion but it was more than that. He found himself actually caring for her. He could have fucked her tonight and it would have been a great fuck for him anyway, but he knew that when he was this angry he would be rough, way rougher than usual anyhow. Hell he'd never cared about hurting a chick during sex before but this was different. This was Hailey. She was no croweater that he could tell to fuck off when he was done. She was Opie's sister. _Opie's sister_. Hell he'd been tasked to watch her not take her to his bed and fuck her brains out. He knew Opie would be livid when he found out about this but at some point over the last year of keeping tabs on her for her brother he had begun to develop some form of affection for the girl. He had seen how her shithead boyfriend treated her and he hadn't been lying when he answered her question about wondering what it was like for her behind closed doors. He had to give it to the asshole. He was good at hitting her in places where the bruises weren't visible. Knowing what he knew about him now and the bruises and scars he'd left on Hailey, he could safely say the shithead wouldn't be walking away if he turned up in Charming again.

He had grown to care about her in a way that he'd never thought possible. He meant to protect her and part of that meant protecting her from himself.

He lay down on his bed and thought over the day out visiting with his mother. She wasn't doing so well and had taken a turn for the worst. Her current treatments weren't working and she was growing weaker by the day. As stubborn as she was she refused to return to the hospice that she had checked herself out of several weeks earlier. Growing up in staunch protection of his mother had made Happy into the hardened man he was today. He would go to any length to protect her, his first smiley tattoo in honor of that fact.

He hated seeing her suffer and he suspected that was part of the reason he was growing closer to Hailey. She saw through his hardened surface to what was beneath in a way that no one else ever had.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So a kinda short update this time but finally we're inside Happy's head a little more. Thanks for all the follows/favs/reviews. I love reading your thoughts. **


	12. Chapter 12

"I'll be halfway across the Atlantic when you're done Princess." He held her in his arms longer than he would normally.

"I know. Just make sure you come back to me Killer. We have unfinished business." She flirted as she ran her fingers delicately across his Redwood Original patch, lust dancing in her eyes at the thought of him staying in Charming.

"I'll be sure to Princess." He said as he engulfed her lips with his own, his kiss making her weak at her knees and moan for more.

"Oh hell Hap. You'd better go before I make you bend me over your bike and take me right now!"

He smiled raising his eyebrows at her before motioning over her shoulder with his eyes. Hailey glanced back seeing Ava looking their way as she walked toward the hospital entrance. "Think she'd enjoy the show?"

She turned back to Happy and gave him a devilish grin. "Perhaps not. I'll just have to wait to make your cock glisten with my juices."

His eyes went wide and beheld an unmistakable glint of lust. "Hailey Winston if I ever thought I'd hear you say that to me I'd have nailed you a long time ago."

She smiled that devilish little grin again. "You'll get your chance soon."

"See you in about a week Princess." He said planting one last kiss on her and turning towards his bike. "You can probly lose the tail. There's no threat here now we know where Abel is."

She nodded. "Thanks Hap." She found herself not wanting to say goodbye. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched him peel away.

* * *

><p>"Wouldn't have picked you to have a biker boyfriend Hailey." Ava commented as Hailey caught up to her in the elevator.<p>

"Me either to be honest." Hailey responded. "It just kind of happened."

It was the first shift they'd had together since Hailey's first nightshift and Hailey was glad. She enjoyed the other girl's chatty company. "I hear Katie's been hanging out to see you."

Hailey smiled. "How's she doing?"

"Not good. She probably only has a few days left to be honest." The other girl frowned as they stepped out of the elevator and headed down the corridor to the pediatric ward.

"Well she's first on my rounds." Hailey smiled a little sadly back.

* * *

><p>"Hey Princess Katie." Hailey said as she stepped into the little girl's room.<p>

"Hi Hailey." The tiny little form of a girl said sleepily from her pillows. "I like being called Princess."

"Me too." Hailey responded.

"Is it what your not really boyfriend calls you?"

Hailey smiled at the little girl's choice of words. "Yeah. He does actually."

Katie smiled sleepily. "What's his name?"

"Happy."

Katie giggled. "His name is Happy when he's grumpy all the time?"

"Yeah. It's kinda funny isn't it?"

"Yeah." She said yawning, "I'm so sleepy Hailey."

"You can sleep as soon as I'm done Princess Katie." Hailey smiled. She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the door opening as she checked the little girls pulse and saw her mother enter.

"Oh hi Hailey. Katie's been asking for you."

"So I've heard." She answered smiling at the naturally red haired woman. Her face was drawn and tired and Hailey doubted she had slept much in the last few weeks.

"There you go, Princess Katie. I'm all done. You can sleep now honey." She said quietly to the little girl whose eyes were already nearly closed.

"Thank you for speaking to her the other night Hailey." The girl's mother said quietly.

"My pleasure, Mrs. Lorenzo. I was glad to be able to alleviate her fears a little."

"Please call me Alice. She told me the next morning that when she goes to heaven she's going to meet your mom."

Hailey smiled. "That's very sweet to hear."

"She adores you Hailey."

"She's a very special little girl Alice."

Alice smiled. "Thank you Hailey"

"I have to continue my rounds but I'll come check on her later okay?" She said placing her hand on the woman's arm.

"Thank you Hailey."

* * *

><p>It was nearing the end of her shift when Hailey saw Tara approaching her from the other end of the corridor. "Hailey you got a minute?"<p>

"Sure. Everything okay?"

"Yes. No. Not really." The older woman answered.

"Is everyone okay? Nothing happened with their flight did it?" Hailey asked feeling fear rise up in her stomach.

"What? Oh no as far as I know they're all fine. Should be about halfway there by now. But, um do you think you could do me a favor when you finish your shift?"

"Sure. What's that?" Hailey answered feeling a little relieved but not failing to notice a slowly darkening bruise around the other woman's eye.

"Could you post bail for Tig?"

"What? I thought he was going to Belfast with the others."

"He was but well, we'll both explain it to you later."

Hailey sighed. "Sure. I'm done in an hour. Reckon he can wait that long?"

"I'm sure he can." Tara smirked.

* * *

><p>Hailey checked in on Katie before she left as she promised. "Hey sweetie" she said when she saw the little girl sitting up against her pillows playing a card game with her mother. "You look like you're feeling a little better."<p>

"Yeah. A little. Wanna play with us?"

"I'm sorry Katie. I'd love to but my shift just finished and I have to go help out a friend who's gotten himself into a spot of bother."

"Okay. Maybe next time?" The little girl frowned.

"Definitely next time sweetie. I'm glad you're feeling better!"

Katie smiled.

"I'll see you in a couple of days okay Princess Katie?"

The little girl nodded eagerly.

* * *

><p>It was mid afternoon by the time Hailey pulled up in front of the police station to bail Tig out for she knew not what.<p>

"Hi Chief Unser. I'm here for Tig. What'd he do?" She said as she greeted the Chief of Charming police.

Wayne Unser sighed. "I'll let him explain Hailey. I really wish you hadn't come back to this town sometimes Sweetheart."

Hailey gave him a small smile. "They're a troublesome bunch aren't they?"

"You can say that again. I'll go get him." The chief answered her.

"Ah, Doll thanks." Tig said as he walked out and saw Hailey.

"No worries. Can we go?" She asked Unser.

"Get his stuff." Unser said to Officer Eglee.

"Hailey tell Tara I'll need to talk to her about this." Unser said.

"Sure, I'll let her know."

"C'mon Doll. Let's get outta here" Tig said as he led her out the door.

"Ah somebody else is gonna have to pick up that tow truck from the impound. Your license has been suspended." Unser informed Tig as he turned to head out the door his arm around Hailey's shoulders.

"What? Why?" he asked turning back.

"You took three arms of law enforcement on a 100 mile an hour goose chase. It'll be two years before you're behind the wheel."

"Are you serious?" Tig asked incredulously. "How the hell am I supposed to work? How am I supposed to ride? C'mon man you'll be dead before I get that license back!" Tig fumed.

"Get him outta here Hailey." Unser said.

"C'mon," She said grabbing his elbow and leading him out the door.

"What the fuck is going on Tiggy?" She asked as they walked toward her car.

"Gemma escaped and took my spot on the plane to Belfast. I kinda created a little diversion by way of a police chase outta Charming."

"Jesus Christ. Did Tara have something to do with getting her out? She's sporting a lovely shiner."

"Probly Doll" He said draping his arm around her shoulders.

"Why the fuck did I come back to this Tiggy?"

"I could give you a 10 inch reason Doll."

"Geez Tig. You don't give up do you?"

"Nah. Never." He grinned.

Hailey sighed. "I'll take you down to the impound and organize for someone to come pick you up."

"Thanks Doll. I'm sure glad you came back." He winked at her and she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I decided to get this update up while I could. I mentioned when I first started this that my laptop was completely archaic. Well this morning I have managed to resurrect said laptop from near death with no guarantee as to how much longer it is going to last. It is most definitely on it's last legs so when it does finally give up it could be a while before I get the next update up so fingers crossed that it keeps going a little longer.**

**Thanks for your reviews and hopefully I am able to keep the updates coming!**


	13. Chapter 13

Hailey sat lazing on a sofa in the near empty clubroom, a book in her hands that her eyes weren't reading. Her mind was adrift with thoughts of Happy. The feelings of lust and longing that a single glance from the outlaw gave her were still a little overwhelming to her. She felt herself becoming wet just at the mere thought of sharing his bed with him. His kisses alone made her pulsate with longing for him and she could only imagine how talented he was in other areas.

Her thoughts were interrupted by what could only be described as squabbling. "I so nearly took you out!" Kozik declared as he entered the clubhouse hot behind Tig's heels.

"You wish Blondie! You were so far from taking me out."

"Really? You seen the shiner I left on you?"

"Pfff! Seen your own face lately?"

Miles followed them in and cast an apologetic look toward Hailey when he saw her rising from the sofa and coming towards them.

"What the hell happened now?" She asked directing her question towards Miles rather than the two grown men that were still squabbling like teenagers.

"They squared off against each other in Lumpy's ring." Miles explained. Hailey liked the new prospect. He was the first one in a while that really seemed Samcro material, not real meek and scared of them all like a lot were. He stood his ground and really seemed he could hold his own if he needed to.

"Christ. Get my first aid kit from the top drawer of the dresser in my room." She said tossing him the keys to her room as she began to survey the damage the two bikers had done to each other.

"Sure." He answered already heading toward her room.

"Do you feel proud of yourselves acting like a couple of teenagers?" She addressed them. Both glowered at the other as Miles returned with her first aid kit.

'Thanks Miles. You reckon you could give me a hand?" She said opening it up.

"Sure I'll help you patch these two idiots up."

"Yo. Watch it prospect." Kozik snapped.

"Koz he's not the one who just had his face smashed in by his brother. I think he's fairly warranted in calling you both that." She caught Miles slight smile out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah well, maybe you're right but I got him better than he did me." The blonde biker declared.

"Miles grab an alcohol swab and start cleaning loud mouth up while I start on Tig. Sorry Koz but Tiggy got you better. It's not gonna take much to patch him up compared to the work I have ahead of me with you."

Kozik glowered as Tig smirked.

"Don't you smirk Sunshine." She said wiping an alcohol swab across a cut above his eye, not being anywhere near as careful as she could. He grimaced at the sting.

"What? You let him rip your face open but you can't handle a little sting as I clean you up?" She asked him.

"You're hardly being gentle Doll." The biker retaliated.

"Seriously you two are worse than a couple of squabbling teenagers." She said as she started to wipe over the split in his lip. "Does it make you feel big and macho beating the shit out of each other?"

"Sure made me feel better laying into Douche bag here." Kozik piped up.

"Well I sure hope so and I also hope that whatever bullshit there is between the two of you stops coz I'm not here just to clean you both up each time your fists feel the need to do the talking."

She could tell from beside her that Miles was enjoying the berating she was giving the two men.

"At least you both had the foresight to take off your rings." She said taking Tig's hand into her own to begin patching up his knuckles.

"We're not stupid Doll." Tig said.

"Coulda fooled me Tiggy. You're hands aren't too bad. Nothing that won't heal on its own."

"Thanks Doll. Maybe I can thank you in other ways later after you're done with Blondie."

"Maybe not Tiggy. Happy would be more likely to find his way into my bed than you right now."

"Shit! You serious Doll? What'd I do to piss you off?"

"I've done nothing but clean up your messes since I came back Tig!" she snapped as she turned her attention to Kozik.

"He certainly did a good number on you."

"What can I say? I have a mean right hook." Tig said.

"Do you have somewhere else to be Tig?" Hailey asked.

"Christ really? I'm beginning to see why Happy lays into you so much." Tig said as he made his way out the door. "Lucky I have to get to work anyhow."

"Yeah lucky." Hailey said to his back.

"Can you spare me the tongue lashing Hailz?" Kozik asked. "I already feel like a dick."

"It's alright Koz. I think I'm just about done here anyway." She said finishing up on a cut above his nose. "Thanks to Miles half my work was already done."

"Thanks Hailey. You're an asset to this club, you know."

"Like I said before Koz that's not the reason I'm here now if you and Tig are done primping your egos I'm sure Gemma would appreciate you helping out in the garage right now."

"Sure Hailz. Thanks again," he said making his way quickly toward the door.

"Wow. You really gave them what for." Miles said as he watched her pack up her things.

"Yeah well they deserved it. You were right calling them idiots. They are." She said moving to sit back down on the sofa.

"Not so sure they'd let anyone else speak to them like that." He said following her over with two beers in hand.

"Sometimes these big biker egos need to be cut back down to size Miles." She said accepting the beer he handed across to her. She took a long drink from the bottle before continuing. "You know I'm no voice of authority around here but I think you've got what it takes to fit in with this bunch."

"Thanks. You know your brother is my sponsor right?"

"No. I didn't but it figures. Maybe that's why I like you. You're kinda like Ope used to be."

"Used to be?"

"Before all the shit this club stirs up got to him."

Miles nodded. "I see what you mean. So what made you so shitty with Tig? You usually get along so well with him."

"I don't know. I think all this shit lately has just made me really question if I made the right decision moving back to Charming. I left to get away from it all and here I am slap bang in the centre of one of the biggest shit storms to ever hit this club. And those two with their friggin' angst for each other just shit me to tears."

"Aside from your job there's nothing tying you here." Miles responded.

"Yeah there is. My family is here Miles. I love all of them like they were my own brothers and I'm sure one day you'll be included in that. I grew up on this lot and I never thought I'd say it but it's the only place I truly feel home."

"Is Happy included in that love circle?" he asked unsubtly.

"What are you getting at Miles?" She asked.

"They've all got their bets on as to whether or not you and Happy are hitting the sack together." Miles confessed.

Hailey's eyes went wide with disbelief. "Seriously?"

He nodded.

"Hey Phil?" She called to the overly polite prospect who was behind the bar wiping it down.

"Yes maam?" he answered coming over.

"Is what Miles just said true? Do they all have bets going on me and Happy being together?"

"Sure do maam."

She sighed. "Bunch of dicks." She said under her breath making Miles smile. "And what's your bet hey?" She asked the two.

"Being prospects we don't get to weigh in but I'd say there's something going on." Miles answered.

"And what about you Phil? What do you think?" She began to glower at the pair.

"Well you certainly aren't fighting with him anymore maam." He answered ever so politely

Hailey scowled. "Quit callin' me that. It's Hailey, Hailz, anything else you want, but not maam. You got it?"

"Sure thing Ma ... I mean Hailey."

She rose from the sofa and headed toward her room. "For fuck's sake. Bunch of gossipy dicks around here." She muttered.

"Big ones from what I hear. Happy included." Miles couldn't help but throw after her.

"Oh yeah. You'll fit right in around here Miles." She scowled at him as she rounded the corner of the hallway to her room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Another kinda short update and the next one will be also, although the next update will cover quite a lot of ground in a short chapter and time jump about halfway through. Also I'm going to try to keep updates coming fairly quickly while I still can with this barely surviving laptop of mine! It's very much a day by day thing as to whether or not it wants to work!**

**So it appears a little more suspicion than Hailey expected has been raised but has word reached Opie's ears yet? You'll just have to wait and see!**


	14. Chapter 14

Another day dawned in Charming and as Hailey opened her eyes she found herself casting her mind back to the conversation she'd had with Miles the previous day. She could only hope that any talk of her and Happy being together hadn't made it to Opie's ears however she knew how futile those thoughts were. Her heart raced at the thought of what was going on across the other side of the world right now. Thoughts of Happy with his face messed up. Thoughts of her brother seething with rage. No he mustn't know yet or they'd have said something to her. Wouldn't they have?

_Dammit. _She had known Chibs was suspicious right from that family dinner when he had nearly come across the two of them out by her car. She should have known he would say something to the others. Why wouldn't he? They all loved to gossip almost as much as a bunch of teenage girls and he had after all been the instigator of the plan to leave them both out at the diner. Hell for all she knew he'd been trying to set them up.

She knew Happy wouldn't have said anything. He'd made it quite clear to her how aware he was of how Opie was going to take this. She also knew that in all honesty he was waiting for her to tell Opie. It had to come from her. She knew that.

She sighed as she glanced at the clock on the night table. It was still early and she didn't have to be up for hours but she couldn't sleep and preferred instead to get up and shower before heading out to the clubroom.

Despite the early hour she was surprised to find the clubroom empty of everyone but Phil.

"Where's everybody else?" She asked the prospect.

"Dunno. They headed out of here pretty quick not long ago." He answered.

"Well at least I don't have to listen to their bullshit this morning."

The prospect smiled. "Amen to that." He answered.

"You had breakfast?" Hailey asked.

"Nope." He said holding up his coffee mug. "This is all I usually manage."

"Let me cook you some. You need more than coffee to handle this bunch."

"Sure thanks maam, I mean Hailey. Sorry." He answered.

Hailey sighed as she made her way to the kitchen. Phil was way too polite and personality wise quite the opposite of Miles. She couldn't see how he would ever fit in around here unless he lost some of that good boy, aiming to please everyone aspect.

"Mmmm, Mmmm!" Tig said smacking his lips together as he walked past the kitchen before changing his course and heading into it instead. "What's cookin' Doll?"

"Breakfast. You want some?" she asked as she added extra bacon to the pan.

"Sure. This an apology for yesterday?" He asked.

"Apology? What for? Cutting you down to size and making you realize you and Kozik are being dicks?"

"Alright fair call. Now you know what it's like for the rest of us listening to you and Happy all the time."

"Yeah spose so."

"So did you mean what you said yesterday? You really gonna invite Happy into your bed?"

"Why don't you tell me what bet you've laid on it?" she snapped back.

"Aw shit Doll. How do you know about that?"

"Doesn't matter how." She snapped back. "So?"

"I haven't wagered anythin' on it Doll. Honest."

"Really?"

"Really."

"And why is that?"

"Coz I know you Doll. You and Hap are both too fucking stubborn to back down."

"What about Ope? Does he know about this little betting ring?"

"Nah Doll. Word of it hasn't hit his ears."

"Good. He'd probly castrate Happy just to be sure nothing does happen if he heard."

"You're probly not wrong there Doll." Tig answered walking out of the kitchen his plate of food in hand.

Hailey sighed. The thought of telling Opie terrified her the thought of him finding out through idle gossip terrified her more.

* * *

><p>"Hail. Wait." Piney called after his daughter as he saw her headed to her car.<p>

"What Pop? I'm gonna be late for work if I stick around here much longer." She called back to him as he ambled out of the garage toward her.

"You're not going anywhere without a tail."

"What? Hap said I didn't need one anymore."

"Things have changed Kiddo. Tara's been kidnapped."

"Aw shit. Things just don't fuckin' let up around here do they?"

"Nope. Wait for Miles to follow you. I'm sure Happy will appreciate us looking after you."

"Pop there is nothing …"

"Quit denying it Hail. You're not fooling anyone least of all me."

"What about Ope?"

"He has his head in the clouds. He and Tig are probly the only ones who don't reckon there's something going on."

Hailey sighed as she saw Miles heading out of the clubhouse. "You ready?" he called over to her.

She nodded. "I have to go Pop. Just let me handle Opie okay?"

Piney raised his eyebrows at his daughter. He knew how stubborn she was and he knew that statement was the closest she would get to admitting that there was something going on between herself and the Tacoma Killer. He had seen it coming. They were both far more alike than he'd bet either of them would ever be willing to admit. Both raised by a single mother, a hardly present father, no father at all where Happy was concerned as far as he knew. Hailey had always been extremely independent and losing her mother at such a young age had hardened her, he'd seen that. They all had. The change in her when she returned to Charming to live after her mother had died had been obvious to them all. She was no longer the carefree bubbly little girl that always got her way. She was quiet, brooding, and angry and had a very short fuse. Although she'd grown up and done well for herself she still often kept her feelings on the inside. She wasn't one to share.

He'd made it his business to not get involved in his children's love lives but really watching her grow up Samcro he'd always known Hailey would end up with one of them. He just couldn't pin who at first. He'd never had a problem with the fact and knew that whoever it was would protect her with their own life. Opie on the other hand he knew would be livid. Much of her upbringing had fallen to him and Piney knew especially after recent events that he wanted her as far away from this life as possible. Hell he was actually surprised that he hadn't convinced her to go back to Tacoma, but then he knew that he liked having her close and she was away from the shithead. He'd watched the two of them grow closer over the years and he knew that when word of what was going on between Happy and Hailey finally reached Opie's ears it wasn't going to end well.

* * *

><p>Hailey sighed as she went in to Katie's room to run her final lot of obs before shift change. The little girl was sleeping. Hailey couldn't recall seeing her awake since the day she'd had to pass on cards to go bail Tig out and that had been nearly a week ago. Granted she had been on night shift for most of that time but even so it worried her. She looked at the little girls chart and saw that she'd had three blood transfusions in the past week. She knew that wasn't good and knew that the poor little thing didn't have long left.<p>

She glanced across to Alice who sat dozing in a chair next to her daughter's bedside. She knew that she had barely left her side in the past few days and knew that she too must know that the end was near. It was moments like this that made Hailey wonder about the profession she'd chosen, but she guessed she was no stranger to death.

* * *

><p>She arrived back on the lot just as the sun was making its way up from the horizon, Kozik following her. Across the lot with the bright early morning sun shining down on it was a brand new, wooden playground complete with swings and a slide. It was fit for a prince.<p>

"What's with the playground?" She asked incredulously as Kozik came up beside her.

"Prospects did it last night for Abel when he's home. Pretty spectacular eh?"

"I reckon. Does that mean they found him?"

"Yeah. We had word late last night."

"So they're on their way back with Abel?"

"Should be."

"Good to hear." She said as she headed toward the clubhouse.

"Heya Doll." Tig greeted her as she made her way inside.

"Hey Tiggy. I'm headed to bed. Say hi to them all for me when they get back." She said making her way to the kitchen to grab something to eat on the way to her room.

"Sure Doll."

* * *

><p>She woke to find him lying next to her watching her sleep.<p>

"Hey Princess." He said as she opened her eyes, a sleepy smile forming on her lips as she saw him.

"Hey, you're back." She answered sleepily.

"Sure am. Did ya miss me?"

"I might have." She responded suddenly wide awake, as she took stock of the situation. "Wait. Do they know you're in here?"

"Nah. But they're gonna find out about us sometime Princess."

"Yeah, but not yet." She said pulling him to her and pressing her lips against his. He kissed her back and ran his hand down between her legs to find her panties moist.

"Oh Hap." She moaned as his touch.

"If only we had time for more Princess." He said pulling away.

"Fuck Happy." She whined. She knew he was enjoying teasing her seeing the smirk at the corner of his mouth. "When?" She asked her hands lingering on his neck.

"All in good time Princess." He answered as she pulled him back to kiss him again.

"I gotta go." He said pulling away from her and rising from the bed.

"Okay." She sulked.

"I'll be in church when you need to get to work so Miles will tail you."

"Do I get you in the morning?"

"As your tail, yes." He smirked as he opened the door.

"That's all I meant Killer."

"Sure it was Princess." He smirked slipping through her door and closing it behind him.

_Fucking tease. _She thought as she watched him go before burying her head into her pillow to suppress her loud moan of frustration.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: SO another kind of short one but i promise you'll be rewarded with a nice long one next chapter. **

**Thanks for continuing to review and let me know you thoughts. Opie finding out is still a few chapters away but in the mean time there will be plenty of Happy/Hailey interaction to look forward to. :-)**


	15. Chapter 15

It was nearly 2am when Katie's call light lit up. "You go Hailey. She'll just ask me for you anyhow." Ava said from beside her.

Hailey entered Katie's room and immediately saw the grim look on her mother's face. She knew why she had been called. Katie was awake and lucid lying against her pillows.

"Hi Hailey." The little girl said quietly.

"Hey Princess Katie." Hailey answered glancing questioningly at the girl's mother.

"Katie said it's time and she wanted to say goodbye to you." Alice said quietly from beside her daughter.

"I'm not scared anymore." Katie said.

"That's good Princess." Hailey said taking her hand.

"When I close my eyes I see your mommy. Her hair is honey blonde and it's curly just like yours. And her eyes are a darker blue than yours but their kind just like yours. Her cheeks are rosy pink and she has a little dimple in one when she smiles. She has the prettiest smile Hailey." The little girl said earnestly.

Tears rolled freely down Hailey's cheeks. "Did she tell you her name honey?" Hailey found herself asking.

The little girl nodded. "Amey with an E."

Hailey gasped.

"She said to tell you that you picked a good one to protect you. She likes Happy."

Hailey gripped the little girls hand tighter as she turned to her mother. "I love you mommy but Hailey's mommy is going to take care of me now."

"I love you too my beautiful girl. I always will." Alice whispered to her only daughter.

The little girl smiled. "Your mommy said she's proud of you Hailey Bear," the little girl said before she closed her eyes and then slowly took her last breath. Alice looked across to Hailey who sat on the other side of her daughter, tears streaming down her face. "Something magical just happened didn't it?"

Hailey could hardly compose herself to speak. "I think so. I never told her what my mother looked like and she just described her to perfection."

Katie's mother smiled and nodded.

"I never told her my mom's name either and that was exactly how she used to introduce herself – Amey with an E."

Alice reached across and took Hailey's hand in hers. "And is Hailey Bear what your mom called you?"

Hailey just nodded through her tears. "Yeah. No one has called me that in years."

"How old were you when she passed?"

"I was 12."

"I know my little girl will be well looked after, Hailey. Your mom has a new little girl now."

"Thank you Alice. Take all the time you need with her okay?" She said quietly excusing herself from the room.

"Thank you."

Hailey stepped out of the room, tears still streaming down her face. "Oh no." Ava said from the nurse's station when she saw her. "Is she …?"

Hailey nodded.

* * *

><p>"Hey." Hailey greeted Happy as she stepped down the steps of St Thomas, towards him.<p>

"Hey Princess. You okay?" he asked noticing immediately that something was off as he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Not really. One of my patients died last night."

"Ah shit, Princess. I'm sorry babe."

"It's okay. She was a real little fighter."

"How old?"

"Six."

"Geez. That sucks."

"Yeah. Sure does. But I know she's in a much better place."

"You believe all that God stuff?"

"I'm not sure. But I think I'm starting to." The sad smile she always got when she was thinking of her mother crept across her face.

"You reckon you can put on a happy face? We're going back to the clubhouse so you can get changed then we're going for a ride."

"Where to?"

"Bakersfield."

"Hell, Hap. You're taking me to meet your mother?"

"You okay with that?"

"Yeah. Give me a few minutes?"

"Sure Princess. Whatever you need."

"I just need you to hold me. That okay?"

He answered her by enclosing her tightly in his arms and holding her against his chest. After a few minutes she pulled away and wiped a lingering tear from her eye. "Okay let's go."

"You right?"

"Yeah." She said forcing a smile to her face as he placed his arm around her waist and led her over to her car, his ride parked right next to it. He kissed the top of her head as she opened the door. She smiled. "I missed you, Hap."

"Not quite the same with Koz or Tig watchin' ya back?"

"Nah, not at all."

He fell shy of uttering the words but Hailey could tell he'd missed her too.

* * *

><p>After taking a quick shower and changing from her work clothes into something appropriate for a long ride Hailey sauntered into the near empty clubroom to find Happy. The heels of her knee high boots that she wore over jeans clacked against the flooring announcing her presence. Both Happy and Opie looked her way, her brother with a clear look of concern written all over his face.<p>

"You okay with this Hailey?" He asked his sister as she approached.

"Yeah Ope. I'll be fine."

"I'll have her back tonight brother." Happy said by way of answer when Hailey didn't speak. "C'mon Princess." He added to Hailey leading her out of the clubhouse and away from the stare of her older brother.

"What was that all about?" Hailey asked.

"I told him where I'm taking ya, that's all."

"And he was okay with that?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" he answered handing her the spare helmet.

"They've all got bets on as to whether we're up to something Hap."

"Wonder who's gonna make the most money outta that." He grinned at her from astride his Harley.

"You serious? You're as bad as them!"

"Get on Princess."

There was no one else out in the lot as she climbed on behind him so she planted a kiss on his cheek and let her hand linger on his shoulder. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips before placing it around his waist and bringing his ride to life.

"Is everything else all sorted? I mean with Tara kidnapped and all?"

"Yeah Princess. We found her. It's all sorted." He called over his shoulder as he rode out.

* * *

><p>Riding down the highway on the way to Bakersfield the constant noise in his head went quiet. Long rides allowed him to sort through it all and make sense of what had been going on lately. He felt Hailey's head pressing into his back between his shoulder blades. He knew she must be tired, coming off a 10 hour nightshift and what must have been an emotionally draining one at that. He smiled at how much smaller than him she was, the words of his mother coming back to him when he'd picked on her about her small stature<em> "Good things come in small packages Hijo."<em>

He realized now how right she was. He'd never intended for things to go this far with Hailey, would never have guessed they'd ever stop laying into each other but he had been wrong about her. He'd never admit that out loud of course but that day out at the diner he'd discovered just how strong the small woman riding behind him really was. There was so much hiding behind those steel blue eyes that he'd bet no one knew. She'd struck a chord in him when she'd spoken about losing her mother and then when she'd trusted him with the details of what her shithead boyfriend had done to her, telling him things he could tell she'd had no intention of ever telling anyone, he knew they'd turned a corner in the direction of their relationship. When he'd seen the pain and suffering in her eyes he'd seen something else too, a desire to be wanted. For whatever reason she had opened up to him, she had trusted him as if she'd been placing her life in his hands and with that he had a new level of respect for her. The words tattooed across his collarbone rang through his mind as he realized how much he had unknowingly come to care for this girl over the years he'd been tasked to watch her. She wasn't setting out to be a precocious little bitch all those years ago nor was she now. She just wanted to be loved after all the pain she'd seen and felt. He still couldn't figure out why he'd kissed her but he couldn't say that he regretted it. She was like a drug, the way her lips molded perfectly to his own, and the sweet taste of her tongue against his. He'd bet there were other parts of her that tasted even sweeter.

He knew that the only reason he hadn't already taken her to his bed was because she was Ope's sister. He hadn't so much as looked at a croweater since that day out at the diner. He hadn't been able to get Hailey out of his head. The ache between his legs grew stronger as he felt her change her position behind him, her hand resting upon his thigh. He took a hand from the handlebars to rest it against her hand momentarily. His decision to take her to meet his mother had been an easy one made when they'd gotten back yesterday. Sitting in church going through the details of what had happened while in Belfast and what was to happen in the next two days he knew he had to put some plans in place, both for Hailey and for his mother.

* * *

><p>She opened her eyes from her half dozed position against his back, to the sound of his voice. "Nearly there Princess."<p>

She roused herself up from her position hardly believing she had nearly been asleep and looked around her. They were riding through the streets of a town not too unlike Charming in its small town appearance and soon came to a stop in a driveway in front of a small no fuss little house. "Off Princess." Happy ordered her. She steadied herself against his shoulder as she swung her leg off behind him and passed his spare helmet to him. He hung it on his handlebars and pulled her towards him enveloping her in one arm still astride his ride. "Ma's not at all well but she's stubborn." He said.

"Is that where you get it from?" She smirked. He kissed her by way of acknowledgement.

"She'll insist on waiting on me. Think you can do your best to help her out?"

"Of course. But what's in it for me later?" She asked cheekily.

"Just you wait Princess. You thought that kiss before I left for Ireland made you hot for me? You haven't seen nothing yet!"

She gave him her devilish grin as he swung his leg over his bike to stand in front of her. She was at least a foot shorter than him even with the generous heels of her boots. He looked down at her and placed a kiss on her forehead before leading her to his mother's front door. He saw the curtain at the side of the door flutter and knew his mother had been watching them.

A small, far from healthy looking woman answered the door at his knock. If she had to guess Hailey would say she was nearing 70. "Hijo."_Son._ She greeted him. "Trust you to come right on lunch time, mi querido." _My dear._

"Y quién es esta hermosa chica en el brazo?" _And who is this lovely girl on your arm? _The woman asked of her son as she led the two of them in.

"English please Ma and this is Hailey." He answered his mother, his eyes cast towards the table laid out with a feast of food. "Ma I told you not to go overboard last time."

"Oh Hijo, enough! I'll not be told what I can and can't do in my home."

She took a seat at the table and motioned for her son and his guest to do the same. "So how did you meet my hijo, Hailey?"

"Hijo means son, Princess." Happy said glowering at his mother. She returned his look with one that could only be taken as reprimand.

Hailey quietly smiled at the exchange between the pair. They were so very alike. "He knows my brother, Mrs. Lowman."

"Please call me Isabel, mi querida." _My dear._

"Ma, for the last time English!" Happy growled.

"Oh cielos mi hijo!" _Oh heavens my son. _She snapped. "Stop telling me what to do in my home."

"Ma! Hailey doesn't understand a word you're saying when you start speaking Spanish."

"It's okay Hap! I'll figure it out."

"Ah you see mi hijo? She's a clever one."

Happy sighed almost in defeat. "Just keep it minimal then okay Ma?"

His mother glowered at him but not unkindly.

"Are you, how do you say, tapping this one yet?" She asked of her son.

"Ma!" he reprimanded her. Hailey was a little taken aback until she remembered her father had asked the same thing several weeks earlier, only now the answer was different.

"No Isabel. He's not tapping me yet but he tells me that he plans to." Hailey answered.

Isabel Lowman turned her attention to the young girl sitting at her table. "Forgive me mi qeurida. It is not often Happy brings a girl home to meet me so I know you must be something special."

Hailey found herself blushing at the woman's words.

"Where are my manners? Would you like some tea querida nina?"Isabel asked.

Hailey saw the scowl on Happy's face. "It's okay Hap. I know that means dear girl." She smiled at him and she saw a flick of amusement creep into his mother's equally dark eyes. "I'd love some tea Isabel, but you sit. I can get it."

"No mi querida. I'll not have you wait on me in my home."

Hailey placed her hand on the older woman's arm and said "Please I insist. Sentarse y hablar con su hijo." _Sit and talk with your son._

She saw Happy's eyes nearly bug out of his head at her sudden switch to Spanish and she saw a warm contentedness take over his mother's expression. "Bueno querida si insistes." _Well my dear if you insist. _She said grinning over at her son whom she knew had just learnt something new about his girl. "Hago Isabel." _I do Isabel._

"Coffee Hap?"

"Thanks Princess." He glowered.

"Isabel I know how he takes his coffee. How do you take your tea?" She asked.

"Strong and sweet querida nina." _Dear girl._

"I like this one mi querido hijo." _My dear son. _Hailey heard her say as she made her way to the small kitchen. She heard Happy's grunt in response also.

"Usted no sabía que ella podía hablar español?" _You did not know she could speak Spanish? _Hailey couldn't help but listen in on their conversation as she made her way around the kitchen preparing the tea.

"No Ma. Obviously I didn't." Happy glowered.

"Oh cielos Hijo! _Oh heavens son! _Of what fun is a girl who doesn't constantly surprise you?" His mother said.

Hailey could almost hear Happy's expression softening as he realized the truth in his mother's words. He didn't like being made a fool of and he felt that is what Hailey had done in front of his mother no less but at the same time he liked the extra layers that she kept revealing to him.

She had a soft gloating smile upon her face when she came back into the room carrying a tray with the teapot, cups, sugar, milk and his coffee upon it. She placed it down and took his coffee and placed it in front of him. "There you go Hap. Strong and stubborn just like you." She said as she did so.

His mother chuckled. "I really like this one hijo!"

He tried to glower at her but couldn't hide the smile that had crept to the corner of his mouth. He had to admit he admired the way Hailey could handle his mother and her insistence of doing everything for her guests. She certainly appeared comfortable in her presence and he liked that.

"I spose I should tell you both why I brought Hailey here." He said as his mother poured the tea. He watched as Hailey added the smallest splash of milk to hers.

"And why is that hijo?"

"I'm going to need someone who can keep an eye on you for a while Ma and I trust Hailey to do that." He said.

"Not that I need looking after but where will you be? Or do I not need to know?" She simpered.

He reached across the table and placed his hand over Hailey's. He had no idea how she would take what he was about to say. "I'll be going inside for a while."

"Oh mi hijo lo que sea para?" _ Oh my son whatever for? _

"What for doesn't matter Ma."

"How long?" Hailey asked quietly her eyes soft and questioning as they met his.

"Fourteen months."

"Okay." She said quietly as she nodded. He couldn't read the expression in her eyes.

"Do you think you and Ma could keep tabs on each other?" he asked still trying to read the expression in her eyes.

"Sure Hap." She gave a small smile as she looked across to his mother.

"Hijo me preocupas!" _Son you worry me!_

"I'll be okay Ma. But I need to know that you will be too. That's why I want you to keep in contact with Hailey while I'm inside. Okay?" he implored.

"Okay." The older woman sighed.

"Please can we change the subject?" Hailey asked as she pulled her hand out of Happy's and moved it out of his reach.

Happy didn't like her response to this. He couldn't read her expression and she seemed to be distancing herself from him. As much as he wanted her to make nice with his mother he knew he'd have to get her out of here soon and tap into her emotions and find out where she was at. He needed her strong through this not only for the sake of his mother but for him too. Part of his reasoning for asking her to keep tabs on his mother was to give her a reason to stick around; to be there for him when he got out.

"Of course, querida. What do you do for work Hailey?" Isabel asked the young girl whom she could tell had her son quite smitten, something she never expected to see. She knew many women had shared his bed, and many of them only once.

"I'm a nurse." Hailey answered.

"No Ma. That's got nothing to do with why I want her to keep tabs on you." Happy glowered at his mother's accusing stare.

Hailey smiled. "In fact Isabel could I ask you something?"

"Of course querida. Que es?" _What is it?_

"Do you believe in heaven? And in God too I suppose?" Hailey asked. Happy looked questioningly at her wondering where this was going as he remembered what she had said that morning when he'd picked her up from the hospital.

"Of course querida nina. What self respecting Cuban woman doesn't?"

"And what about spirits? I mean in the afterlife do you think we see our loved ones again?"

"Of course querida nina. That is why we call it heaven."

Happy sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, listening to their conversation.

"I had a patient die last night." Hailey said. Isabel sat forward and placed her hand upon hers. "It wasn't my first but this little girl really touched me. She was only six years old but had so much wisdom for her years. I spent a lot of time with her and mentioned my mother maybe a couple of times but never told her what she looked like or even her name. I was with this little girl as she passed and she said she could see my mother, described her to perfection, and knew her name and how she used to introduce herself. Amey with an E. My mother died when I was 12." She glanced across at Happy who held a quiet look of recognition in his eyes. He hadn't known her mother but he knew Amey with an E had been a favorite among the sweet butts of her day, that was until Piney had knocked her up and she had chosen to leave Charming and raise her child, Hailey, away from the club.

"I would say that is a very special experience querida nina and that little girl is in the best care if she is with your mother. I can see a mother's hand in raising you."

Hailey smiled her sad smile. "I really miss her sometimes."

"Of course you do querida nina. Our mothers are always in our hearts no matter where they or we are."

"But it made me really happy to hear that she is somewhere even though I'm not sure what I believe."

"She is watching you Hailey and I have no doubt she is proud."

Hailey smiled. Happy sat and studied the girl across from him. There was still so much about her he did not know.

Isabel rose from the table "Discúlpen los niños." _Excuse me children._ Happy rose to help her when he saw her slightly unsteady on her feet. "Sit Hijo. May I not go to the bathroom on my own?"

Happy scowled but more so at Hailey's smug look. "How do you know Spanish?" He snapped once his mother had left the room.

"A babysitter I had growing up, before my mother died, spoke Spanish. She taught me quite a lot." She answered her eyes keeping the same distant look.

"Where are you at with this? With me going inside?"

"I'm okay." He could see her eyes still held that distant gaze that told him the opposite of what her words did.

"Hijo," said his mother coming back into the room. "It's getting late. Shall I make up your old room?"

"No Ma. We have to get back to Charming tonight. We should leave soon."

"Okay my dear boy. Look after this one. I like her." He smiled as he rose from the table. He was sure after today's revelations that Hailey would find an excuse to leave Charming, renege on her promise to watch out for his mother, at least that's what he was reading from her.

"C'mon Princess. We should get back." He watched as Hailey rose and embraced his mother.

"Ha sido precioso que se reuna con usted Isabel." _It's been lovely meeting you Isabel. _Hailey said earnestly, "I'll come see you again one day when he's inside." The older woman smiled. "Que sería encantador." _That would be lovely. _Maybe he was wrong, Happy thought as she kept throwing him curve balls.

"I suppose I'll see you when you get out?" She asked her son.

"I hope so Ma."

"Hijo, I'm not going anywhere!" She reprimanded as she embraced her son.

"Love you Ma." He said pulling away and grabbing Hailey's hand as his mother opened the front door.

She watched as both her son and Hailey, whom she had begun to refer to in her head as his girl, sat astride his bike. They looked quite the cozy picture she thought and smiled as she waved them goodbye.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So as promised, a longer update this time. Thank you for all your feedback on the last chapter. For some reason I didn't particularly like it so I'm really glad you guys did. As for this chapter please let me know what you think and the next will finally see some much anticipated action between Happy and Hailey! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Just to clarify my note at the end of the last chapter, it is Chapter 14 that I don't like and I'm not really sure why. I think perhaps because it jumps around so much and interrupts the usual flow I like to have. Chapter 15 is actually one of my favorites. Happy's mom was so much fun to write. Thank you for all your reviews on chapter 15 as it was a hard one to write in a lot of ways. Oh and there's a little smut in this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Hap, are you okay?" Hailey asked as they pulled up at a red light.<p>

"Fine Princess. You?" he threw back to her.

"I'm okay." He didn't for a second believe her but it would have to wait until they were back in Charming. It seemed they had a lot to discuss but they had all night as far he was concerned and talking wasn't all he had planned.

* * *

><p>It took less than a moment upon arriving in Charming for her to realize that they weren't headed to the Clubhouse. "Where are we going?" She asked over his shoulder.<p>

"My place Princess." He responded without looking back at her as he came to a stop at a red light.

She hadn't even been aware that he had a house in Charming and felt there could only be one reason why he'd take her there. They pulled up in front of a simple but not unpleasant dwelling. She placed her hand on his shoulder to steady herself as she got off behind him and felt a surge of heat run up her arm at the touch. "Stay here." He ordered as she hung the spare helmet from the handlebars. She stayed put as she'd been told and watched as he disappeared down the side of the house. Beginning to think she had been wrong about his reasons for bringing her here, she felt uneasy standing alone in the dark. She hugged her arms around herself and looked skittishly around her.

Suddenly the porch light flicked on and Happy appeared in the doorway at the front of the house. She saw a glimmer of amusement in his dark eyes as he caught sight of her skittishness. "C'mere, Princess." He couldn't help but snicker as he led her into his house. He didn't frequent it often and usually crashed at the clubhouse but he'd wanted to make sure he had a place in Charming for if his mother ever came to stay, not that it looked like she'd ever be able to if her health didn't improve. He stayed here on occasion when he needed quiet from the clubhouse surroundings.

"Thought you said I didn't scare you?" he goaded her.

"You don't Hap." She answered as she took in the surroundings. There was very little personal effect about the place but it was freakishly clean and tidy.

"Really? Coulda fooled me with that look you had on your face out there."

"What look?"

"Like I was about to put a gun to the back of your head."

She spun around and faced him in shock. He laughed at the look of terror on her face. "Relax, Princess. I'm not even armed. See?" He said motioning to the table where his glock and knife lay discarded and out of his reach.

"Well how was I sposed to know? You leave me out there in the dark to sneak around the back like some criminal, then you make comments like that when …" She trailed off as he placed his hand on her arm and pulled her to him.

"When what Princess? When I've made it so damned obvious that there's more going on between us and when I take you to meet my mother? Do you really think I'd bring you here just to put a bullet in your skull?" he said his face inches from her own.

"You've meant to be so obvious?" She asked quietly, her eyes resting upon his lips.

"I rarely do anything I don't mean to do Princess." He said before cupping her chin to bring her lips up to meet his own. His kiss was hard and possessive but his lips warm as they pressed against hers. She craned her neck back and raised herself up on her tiptoes to place her arms about his neck, her tiny frame seeming so small against him. He hoisted her up and her legs wrapped around his waist as she pressed herself against him and allowed his tongue to caress her own. He carried her across to the kitchen counter and placed her down on it before pulling his lips away from hers. He held her face in his hands and stared into her steel blue eyes, his dark as sin ones so intense she felt the pit of her belly begin to burn and tingle with desire, feeling like he could make her come just with his gaze. She locked her legs around his waist and pulled him hard against her closing any space between them. He released her gaze and pressed his lips against hers with commanding dominance and she felt a sharp pinch as he bit her lower lip before soothing it with his tongue and plunging it deep into her mouth. The taste of his tongue pressed against her own and the feel of his hands caressing her curves sent shivers pulsating through her body.

All the while her mind was racing, telling her that this was the man she'd spent the better part of the last five years loathing, that he was Samcro and an outlaw, but most of all this man had _earned_ his title as the Tacoma Killer and he was headed to jail in a matter of days. The very thought of becoming involved with him scared the hell out of her yet here she was melting to a pool at his feet as he made her body feel things she didn't think it had ever felt just through a kiss.

She pulled her mouth away from his breathing hard and found his eyes again searching for what this was to him. He held firmly to her hips and pulled her against him, letting her feel his semi erection. "Thought I was never getting into your pants Killer," She smirked.

"You're not quite there yet Princess." He smirked back as he brought his lips back to hers only to be interrupted by the buzzing of the burner in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. "It's Ope. Probably wondering what I've done with you."

"Yeah." He answered the phone.

"Alright I'll be there." She ran her fingers teasingly across his chest as he placed his free arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, she's fine Ope."

"Okay, see you in ten"

He snapped his phone shut and pulled her back towards him. "Church in ten babe. We gotta make tracks."

Hailey frowned.

"Quit frownin'." He said before crushing his lips against hers once more and drawing her possessively against him. She felt through the intensity of his kiss that he was claiming ownership over her and she submitted. She ran her hands up under his t-shirt across his well defined torso to his chiseled chest where her nails scratched against him. He slid the straps of her tank top and bra down her arms to expose her breasts and she gasped as he took her nipple into his mouth with a gentle nip. Despite her small frame and stature her breasts were more than a handful for his large hands as his lips blazed a trail up across them and to her neck, finally making his way back to her lips and kissing her with such intensity and passion that she felt her whole body begin to burn with anticipation. "Oh Hap," she moaned placing her hand on the zipper of his jeans and sliding it down. She moved to place her hand against his hardening length as he pulled away. "Need to stop Princess." He murmured. "Before I can't."

She trailed her finger across the back of his neck and up the back of his bald head before kissing a trail up his neck to his ear and nibbling on its lobe while running her tongue along its back.

"Oh Fuck Hailz." He growled. She drew away biting her lip with a devilishly seductive grin on her face. He couldn't resist the burning desire that danced in her eyes and pulled her back towards him pressing his lips against hers and allowing her hand to slide into his pants and pull out his rock hard cock. He moaned as she stroked and pulled up and down his shaft making him harder than she ever thought possible. He began to undo her jeans and tugged them down her hips with every intention of slamming his cock straight into her especially when he felt how wet and welcoming her pussy was. She moaned with anticipation as she felt his fingers slide inside of her when his cell he'd placed on the counter next to her began to buzz again. She groaned with frustration as he pulled away from her.

They both looked down and saw it was Opie again. He let it ring out. "That means we have to get back Princess." He released his grip on her and stepped back away from her and the temptation to continue what they'd started. She watched as he pushed his large but softening cock away and did his pants up. She gazed at him resolutely as she slid from the counter to pull her own pants up and readjusted her top and bra, the fire that had ignited between them all but unwillingly out. "Put this on." He said tossing her his hoodie that hung over the back of a chair. "It'll be cold out." She watched as he holstered his gun and knife before pulling it over her head as she followed him out the door. Wordlessly he handed her the spare helmet and waited for her to climb on and wrap her arms around his waist, before starting up his Harley and peeling out of his driveway. Her insides still burned madly for him and she wasn't quite sure how to take this suddenly distant man, but knew it had to be his way of coping with the sudden stop to what would have continued further. She rested her head against his back as they rode and thought back upon how good he had made her feel. She knew part of the thrill had been due to a sense of the forbidden and the way the intensity of his kiss had claimed ownership over her.

She tightened her arms around his waist. The thought of becoming involved with him still scared her but it was that fear that made it all the more thrilling. They pulled into the lot, most of his brothers waiting at the tables outside. He let her get off before walking his bike back into its spot. He took hold of her wrist as she handed him his spare helmet and being sure to keep his distance from her in case any of his brothers were looking in their direction he said just loud enough for her to hear, "What happened back there? It's gonna happen again but next time it gets finished." She couldn't help but flash that devilish grin he'd seen earlier. "I look forward to it," she purred. He could tell she was still wet and burning with anticipation.

"I'm guessin' you're not ready to tell Ope?" He asked still holding her wrist. She shook her head _No._

"So wipe that smile off your face, stalk in there without acknowledging any of them and let me handle the rest." She winked at him before letting her smile fall to a scowl all too well. She pulled his hoodie off over her head and threw it at him before she turned on her heel and stalked off across the lot. He watched her go admiring both her touch of throwing his hoodie at him and the swagger of her hips that he knew once again was purely for his benefit. He thought how much this girl had gotten under his skin previously and how much in such a short time they'd turned that around. He had wanted nothing more than to fuck her senseless tonight and he knew that he still would. The night was still young. He smiled to himself but his face betrayed nothing of his thoughts as he took long strides across the lot behind her.

"Where the fuck have you two been?" Opie growled as they approached Hailey stalking in front, Happy with his longer strides hot on her heels. Hailey stalked right past as she'd been told to and left the clubhouse door swinging in her wake.

"Sorry, brother." Happy gave answer. "Nearly forgot to fill up as I came into Charming."

"Not like you Hap." Tig questioned.

"Yeah. It's Ma. She's not good. That's why I wanted to take Hailey out there today … you know with her being a nurse and all?"

"What's with Hailey? Why's she so pissed off?" Opie questioned.

"Guess she didn't take too kindly to being stuck behind me for 6 hours. Don't know why she agreed to come to be honest."

"I guess it was the nurse in her. Besides you've been watching her back for years. She has no reason not to trust you." Opie said.

"I misjudged her Ope. Your sister is a good kid." Happy offered.

"She ain't a kid anymore Hap!" Tig winked.

"Jesus Christ Tiggy. She ain't letting you into her bed." Bobby threw at the ever persistent man.

"Certainly not if I have anythin' to do with it!" Opie said glaring at both Tig and Happy as they headed into the clubhouse and toward the chapel where Clay, Jax and the others were waiting.


	17. Chapter 17

He leaned against the doorframe watching her move about the kitchen unaware that he was standing there. Church had just finished and he was content to stand in the doorway watching her. It was late and the clubhouse was all but emptied out so he was pretty sure they wouldn't have any unexpected audiences. She wiped down the benches while she waited for water to heat in the microwave. She had such an unconscious swagger that he found so sexy.

As the microwave finished she reached up to the cupboard above her head to get something out. He made a noise to clear his throat so she'd know he was there before he spoke. The last thing he wanted was to startle her. She turned and saw him.

"Tea?" he asked.

"Am I that transparent?" she responded.

"Just a little." He said as he moved towards her. He wanted to touch her, hold her, have her. After so much sexual tension and so many close encounters he could hold out no longer. He had to have her now. He took hold of her hips and pulled her towards him running his tongue up the back of neck before nipping at her ear. "Oh Hap," she moaned turning around to meet his eyes. He hoisted her up to the counter and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth.

She placed her hands against his chest and pushed him away. "Hap, don't get me wrong. I want you so bad but I have to know where this is going. I can't do just sex." She whispered. He gazed deep into her eyes.

"Who said it was gonna be just sex?" he said as she gazed back into his eyes. The look she found there was intense, far removed from the menace she used to see.

"But with you going inside for so long shouldn't we wait?'

"I'm not sitting inside for fourteen months wondering what my cock would feel like inside you Princess. I need to know what it feels like."

"I can't do this Hap, getting involved with you, it scares me." Her body language and her eyes told a different story.

"That's not the message I was getting at my house earlier Princess."

"Hap please I want you but…" He placed his finger against her lips.

"Stop thinkin' and just feel Princess." He said running his hand down her back and pulling her towards him closing the gap between their bodies. He brought his lips to hers, his hand against the back of her neck and kissed her possessively. He felt her concede as her arms locked around his shoulders, and her tongue pressed against his lips to gain entry to his mouth. He locked his tongue with hers and drew it back into his mouth. Their kiss was deep and intense, and she could feel him growing harder against her. Their breathing was hot and heavy as she pulled away again. She held her hand firmly against the back of his neck and found his eyes. "Are we really doing this?" She asked.

He nodded. "No more interruptions Princess. I'm gonna fuck you till you're seeing stars Baby. " Her steel blue eyes never lost his dark as sin ones. "Sounds like we'll need a bed for that Killer." He kissed her once more softly before moving towards the door and looking out to the clubroom, making sure it was clear. "My room, go." He said turning back to her.

She slid down from the counter and headed towards his dorm room without looking back. He followed closing and locking the door behind them and pressing her against it, before crushing his lips against hers. She pushed his cut from his shoulders and placed it aside on the chair nearby before sliding her hands beneath his white t-shirt. His chest felt smooth and muscular beneath her fingers. She pushed his shirt up over his head and looked down at the tattoos that covered his torso and arms, pausing for a moment to take them in. He brought her lips back to his and ran his hand down her side till it found her ass and gave it a tight squeeze before hoisting her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he carried her across to the bed and placed her down on it before pulling her top over her head. He knelt before her and unhooked her bra bringing first one and then the other nipple to his mouth, drawing the second one in and sucking it hard. Her hands pressed longingly down his back before she brought them around to undo his jeans letting them fall to his knees. He pulled her boots off, tossing them aside before blazing a trail with his lips up her chest and to her neck and finally to her lips all the while gently pushing her back up the bed, kicking his own boots and jeans off as he did so. One handed he undid the button on her jeans and tugged them down over her hips.

Her hands roamed all over his hulking body while he gently trailed his fingers across her tiny form beneath him. He slid his fingers underneath the band of her black lace panties. "Not so fast Killer." She whispered. "Stand up." She ordered. He rarely let a woman order him around in the bedroom but he decided to allow her to take control, see what she was capable of. He rolled off her and stood at the side of the bed watching her as her near naked form moved towards him, his eyes drinking in the beauty of it. Without a word she pushed his boxers down, letting them fall to the floor where he stepped out of them. She paused for a moment to take in the sight of his impressive length. She wasn't sure but she could swear it was bigger than the ten inches that Tig liked to brag about. She took it into her hand and ran her hand down to its base before closing her lips around the head and running her tongue down his shaft. "Oh fuck Hailz." He moaned, going instantly hard as she took his entire length into her mouth and allowed him to slide down her throat. He placed his hand against her shoulder and looked down to find her looking wickedly back up at him. The only noise in the room was the sounds Hailey's mouth made as she sucked and licked his dick ravishingly. "Oh hell, Princess." He moaned as he drew closer to coming. He didn't think it possible that this could be the best blow job he'd ever had until she ran her tongue over his hardening balls causing him to explode deep in her throat, his hand gripped hard to her shoulder as he convulsed with the power of his orgasm. She withdrew him from her mouth licking down his length and sucking his head dry. "Holy fuck Princess. Where'd you learn to do that?" He asked incredulously.

"It's not like you're my first Hap." She answered somewhat cautiously.

He pushed her back on the bed and stood over her. "You'd better ready yourself baby!" He growled as he took back control. "I'll bet you've had nothin' like me before."

He ran his fingers along the band of her black lace panties, before sliding them down her hips and flicking them off at her ankles. He pushed her legs apart with his shoulders and ran the tip of his tongue delicately over her slit before teasing her clit out and taking it into his mouth. "Oh Hap." She moaned as his tongue plunged deep into her. "You taste amazing Princess." He murmured his breath tickling against her already tingling bits. That was when his tongue went to work directly pleasuring her clit, while sliding his fingers in and out of her, bringing her right to the cusp of orgasm and then pulling her back again and again until she was writhing with ineffable pleasure. "Oh fuck Hap, Oh fuck. Let me come." She begged as he pulled her back one last time before letting her explode with ecstasy. Her hand clapped hard against his back and her nails dragged across his shoulder as her insides rippled with the heat of pleasure. She was still breathing hard as he crawled on all fours over her and pulled her up to meet his lips making her taste her own juices.

"Oh fuck Happy." She said pulling away and gazing into his eyes. "That was amazing."

"The best is yet to come Princess." He said without taking his eyes away from her, he reached into the drawer beside him for a condom and tore the packaging open with his teeth before sliding it on. He placed his fingers against her and slid two inside immediately feeling how wet and ready she was. He felt her shudder at his touch, still hot and sensitive from the orgasm he'd just given her. He met her eyes and whispered "Are you sure you're ready for this?" His voice was still gravelly even in a whisper. "Hell yes. Fuck me Happy."

She gasped and then let out a soft, breathy moan as she felt him fill her. Never had she experienced anything quite like it. "Oh Hap you feel amazing!" She said as she scratched her nails down his back as she felt him push deeper within her. "You feel pretty damn good too Princess," he said with a hard thrust to deepen himself even further causing her to let out an involuntary squeal. He clapped his hand over her mouth. "Ssshhh!" he said quietly still drawing in and out of her. "You want Ope to come banging in my door only to find me balls deep in you?" She smiled and used her breathing to control her growing need to scream. He pushed her legs up and held them behind her knees increasing the speed of his thrusts at the same time. Her insides burned with her growing pleasure feeling him thrust in and out of her. He moaned as she made her walls contract around him making her tighter than he ever thought possible. He began to press in deeper with each thrust until she could no longer keep quiet. She hooked her legs around his waist as he smothered her moans with his mouth, kissing her with such intensity it only brought her closer. She pulled her lips away to take a breath. "Oh my god!" She screamed as she felt her insides burn ever so close to tipping over, which earned her his hand clapped across her mouth again.

"Bite me." He said.

"Huh?" she questioned.

"If you're gonna scream bite me." He said dragging his fingers through her hair and plunging in deeper than she ever thought possible. Her teeth latched onto the skin at his shoulder and she bit down hard before releasing it to draw breath. She writhed against him and moaned softly as her walls began to contract uncontrollably around him and the searing warmth of her orgasm began to build. He drew out slightly using the head of his penis to massage directly against her g spot. It was enough to tip her over the edge. She bit hard into his shoulder, suppressing the moan that threatened to escape her lips, as she began to come. As she bit harder he plunged in deep again and the more intensely her insides burned. She bit into his shoulder so hard that she could taste blood as her orgasm came blazing to its climax. "Oh Fuck Hap," She moaned breathlessly against him. He grunted as her pussy tightened further around him and allowed his own orgasm to come screaming forward, his dark eyes burning with ecstasy.

They held each other a moment longer before he pulled out of her and kissed her tenderly. Raising himself up over her he surveyed the damage to his shoulder. "Look what you did Princess." His use of the nickname anything but spiteful, as he drew her attention to the clear teeth marks in his shoulder, with slight lacerations where she had drawn blood.

"Sorry." She said looking shocked.

"Don't be. That was incredible," he growled pulling her against him and kissing her lips with a burning intensity that told her he was still reeling just as she was. He lay at her side, propping himself up on his elbow to gaze down at her. She trailed her fingers down his chest before bringing her lips to the bite mark she'd left on his shoulder and delicately kissing it before trailing the tip of her tongue across it licking his blood away. He laced his fingers through her hair and gently tugged her lips up to his own, tasting his own blood that lingered on her tongue.

She could tell that part of what had made it so good for him was the pain involved with her biting him and it didn't really surprise her that he had a masochistic streak in him. She knew that had she not bitten him the others would have heard for sure especially being that orgasm had been the most intense she had ever felt. But she sensed that he had been holding back for fear of hurting her.

She lay in the warmth of his embrace relishing the feel of his rock hard muscles beneath her hands and loving the soft tickling touch of his hand running up and down her arm and his lips soft in her hair as her head rested against the delightful hardness of his chest. She cast her eye across the colorful array of his tattoos, breathed in his delicious scent. She let her hand trail down across his torso to the collection of happy faces tattooed there. She wanted to be no where else but here. The irony of feeling so safe in his arms was not lost on her. She'd had second thoughts about what had just transpired but knew that regardless of whether he'd admit it or not this was more than just sex to Happy. His feelings ran deep and he rarely showed them but she'd seen them when he'd taken her to meet his mother. His care, concern and love for his mother had been so evident that she'd begun to notice other things. Like the look in his eyes when he gazed upon her while they were there. She knew that by introducing her to his mother, asking her to look out for her, and telling them both simultaneously that he'd be going inside was his way of letting her know he had feelings for her.

"What ya thinkin' Princess?" His gravelly voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Thinkin' I'd like to ride you again handsome."

"Well quit thinking about it and do it." He said handing her a condom.

"Don't hold back this time Killer." She said as she sat astride him and rolled the condom down over his already rock hard cock. "Fuck me like you mean it."

He lifted her up by her hips before slamming her back down onto him, impaling her instantly.

"That do it for you Princess?" he asked with a smirk as she threw her head back with a loud moan.

* * *

><p>Their bodies found each other several more times throughout the night, sometimes rough and desperate leaving bruises across her hips and thighs, the last time as dawn approached, slow, sensual, every move deliberate and calculated as they brought each other slowly to an earth shattering climax.<p>

She awoke with his arm heavy across her hips, his hand protectively curled around her side. She groaned contentedly as she wriggled out from under his arm, their night of lovemaking leaving her sore in all the right places.

"Where do you think you're going Princess?" he grumbled his voice heavy with sleep.

"Back to my room to take a shower."

"No you're not. Get back here and fuck me again."

"Well if you insist, Mr. Lowman."

"Don't call me that." He said slapping her ass to give her the message that he wanted to do her from behind. She giggled as she braced herself against the bed frame.

"Why? Does it make you feel old?"

"I'll show you what old can do Princess." He said slamming his cock into her so hard she couldn't help but scream.

He pounded into her hard and fast, gripping her hips, until they both collapsed onto the bed in ecstasy still breathing hard. She squealed as he sank his teeth into her shoulder, marking her as his. He raised himself up off the bed allowing her to turn over to her back again and raised himself on his elbows to lay over her. He gazed upon the afterglow that made her more beautiful than ever.

"Consider yourself well and truly fucked Princess." He said running his fingers through her hair.

She smiled contentedly up at him before starting the conversation neither of them wanted to have.

"So today. It's a big one yeah?"

"Yeah Princess." He sighed.

"And it's not gonna end well is it?"

"Depends on your definition of well but I guess by yours, no."

"You'll be going to jail by the end of it."

"Yeah"

"I wanna know what this is Hap. And don't tell me sex. I know it's more than that for both of us."

"I don't know what this is Princess but I do know that I want you to be here when I get out."

"I know. I knew that when you took me to meet your mom."

"So you'll stay in Charming?"

"I'm not going anywhere Hap. I'll be here. Might even visit you in there."

He smiled his characteristic half smile. "I'd like that. Makes it easier to visualize your pretty face as I clean my rifle."

She giggled and playfully slapped his cheek as she caught his meaning. "I guess you'll be doing a lot of that."

"You can't tell me you won't be playing with yourself too."

She blushed making him laugh. "I rode you hard all night long and that makes you blush?"

She smiled. "I'll be thinking of you as I do it." She said sweetly.

"Princess, believe it or not I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too Killer. I think it's safe to say we're past hating each other."

"We were past that a while ago, babe. What about all them out there?"

"I think most of them have guessed. But I should tell Ope before you're all inside."

"We're not all going Princess. Ope will be out and Chibs. Kozik will stick around. And Piney will be out of course."

"Wait how come not all of you are?"

"More than you need to know Princess. So you're ready to tell Ope?"

She sighed. "I didn't say I was ready to but I guess I have to."

"Alright. Break it to 'im gently okay? I would like to keep my junk intact."

She smiled. "I kinda like it the way it is too."

He smirked.

"After today things should settle down. You won't need a tail anymore."

"Okay." She frowned feeling like a little kid who had just lost her security blanket.

"You'll be fine Princess." He said pressing his lips against hers momentarily.

"Yeah I know."

"And you'll keep tabs on Ma for me?"

"Of course Hap. I'll let you know how she's really doing not what she tells you."

"Thanks Princess."

"I'm gonna go take that shower now okay?"

"Sure babe." He said drawing her lips against his and biting her bottom lip before rolling off her.

He watched as she pulled on last night's jeans and then reached for his top instead of her own.

"Mind if I wear this?"

"Not at all Princess."

She pulled it over her head, breathing in his scent that remained on it, as she walked to the door. "Oh and Princess?" he called her back, "Move out of Ope's dorm and into my house okay?" He saw the unmistakable glow of love in her eyes as she looked back at him and hoped he hadn't jumped in too deep too soon.

"Okay. Thanks." She answered quietly as she backed out the door.

She smiled to herself as she padded barefoot down the hall to her dorm. It was still early and the clubhouse remained fairly empty but she knew it wouldn't be for long. She could hear Gemma and some of the crow eaters in the kitchen making preparations for a big celebration breakfast to welcome Abel home. She began to rethink her snap decision to put on Happy's shirt instead of her own and hoped she would get back to her room without running into somebody and having to explain her whereabouts last night. The last person however that she expected to run headlong into coming out of his dorm room was Opie.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks so much for your reviews and continued interest in this story. Hope you enjoy this latest update.**


	18. Chapter 18

Opie was coming out of his dorm room just as she approached it. "Been looking for you." He said eyeing her in Hap's t-shirt. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I think you know the answer to that Ope." She sighed seeing the growing look of suspicion in his eye.

"Yeah I think I do." He growled. "What the fuck Hailey? You and Happy hittin' each other's shit now?"

"Ope please. Can we talk about this reasonably?"

"Nah I don't think so Hailey. I've a mind to go beat the shit out of him right now."

"Ope please, he's not doing anything I don't want him to." She answered noticing they were causing a scene as the clubhouse began to fill up for the morning's celebrations.

"That's not the point Hailey. You're my sister."

"And I can make my own decisions Opie."

"Really? I'd question that." He growled. Hailey saw the dangerous look in his eyes as his gaze shifted to over her shoulder.

"Oh shit." She muttered under her breath as she turned and saw Happy coming down the hallway behind her.

"Really Hap? You're fucking her now?" he growled as he moved past her to take a swing at Happy who managed to dodge the fist flying at him. Hailey jumped between the pair and grabbed at her brothers hands to stop him.

"Opie stop! I didn't want it to come out like this!"

"Oh really Hailz? And how did you think it was gonna come out when you're parading around this place in his fucking clothes?" he said easily freeing his fists from her hands and moving around her to throw himself at Happy. He connected with him square on the jaw splitting his lip as Happy fought back and landed a punch against his left eye his large gold reaper ring making a gash down his cheekbone.

"Just took her to Bakersfield coz she's a fucking nurse hey?" Opie said going in for another swing which Happy deflected without answering the accusation. "She's my fucking sister you asshole!"

"Both of you stop!" Hailey yelled at the top of her lungs moving between them again aware that nearly every pair of eyes in the clubroom was taking in the exchange. The two men eyeballed each other but stopped fighting.

"Harry Winston will you get your ass into your dorm right now so we can talk about this like civilized fucking adults?" She said in a calm yet commanding tone. He turned on his heel and stalked towards his door wrenching it open so hard she could swear it nearly fell off its hinges. She turned to Happy and brushed the tip of her finger across the blood that trickled from his lip.

"I'll be fine Princess. Go sort this shit out." He glowered. He looked as angry as Opie, but somewhat amused at how well the small woman had broken things up between them. She turned to find her brother glaring at her as he held the dorm room door open for her. She glanced back at Happy before she stepped through the door and heard it slam shut behind her. She shuddered at the noise.

"What the fuck was that Hailey?" Opie growled.

"I am not answering any questions until you calm the fuck down!" She growled back. "Now sit down and let me clean up that cut on your face." She said reaching for the first aid kit she kept in the dresser. He obliged and took a deep breath as he did so. She started to clean away the blood that had begun to trickle down his cheek.

"You gonna tell me how this happened?" he asked a little more calmly.

"Well I can give you a blow by blow description if you'd like."

"Don't be smart Hailey. Just tell me how you and Happy Lowman went from screaming at each other in hatred to sharing a fucking bed."

Hailey sighed. "Firstly Ope I really didn't want that scene out there to happen. I'm sorry I should have spoken to you sooner."

He winced as she wiped an alcohol swab over his cut. "So when did it start?"

"The day you guys abandoned us out at the diner …"

"Fuck seriously?" he interrupted.

"Let me finish." She snapped. "The day you guys abandoned us out at the diner we talked. Like actually talked and I ended up telling him some stuff I didn't think I'd ever tell anyone like about mom and her death and some other stuff too and I guess I struck a chord or something in him coz he kissed me. We didn't know then what we were gonna do or whether we wanted anything else to come of it so we decided to make you all think nothing had changed. But we couldn't stop what we'd started. You probably noticed we stayed away from each other rather than fighting."

He nodded and she put her hand against his cheek to hold his head still. "This is gonna need stitches Ope." She said.

"Just keep talkin' Kiddo."

She scowled at his stubbornness as she continued.

"The day of the lockdown after you all got back and told me what went down, he cornered me in the hallway, and dragged me in here where we ended up making out. I told him I wanted him to be my tail. It gave us plenty of opportunity to be alone together and since then we've been flirting like crazy."

"I knew something was up yesterday when he told me he was takin' you out to Bakersfield. I shoulda said something then. When'd you start fucking him?"

"Last night."

Opie put his face in his hands before pulling them through his hair. She was done patching him up and had sat down next to him on the bed.

"So you being so pissed off when you got back last night was all for show?"

Hailey nodded. "Yeah." She said quietly.

"You lied to me Hailey."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was scared of what you'd do. I knew it would turn into the scene I just broke up out there."

He sighed.

"He tell you what's going down today?" he said turning to her.

"Yeah."

"So you know he's gonna be in Stockton for over a year right?"

"Yeah I do Ope."

"Fuck Hailz. Is it just sex or is it there more to it than that?"

"I don't think we even know yet Ope. But he's asked me to look out for his mom while he's inside and he told me he wants me around when he gets out."

"Fuck Hailey! I should have known you'd end up in one of their beds one day, but Happy?"

"You tasked him to keep an eye on me. I guess it's been developing for a while."

Opie sighed a heavy defeated sigh. "I can't tell you what to do anymore Hailey but just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into okay? This life, being an old lady, it ain't a pretty one. I never wanted it for you Hailey."

"I never did either Ope and in a lot of ways what's going on between me and Happy scares the shit out of me but I can't help how I feel about him."

"How do you feel about him?"

"I care about him Ope and maybe it has something to do with having him watching over me for the last five years but I feel so safe when I'm with him. And you probably don't want to hear this but he is an amazing fuck."

"You're right I didn't need to hear that." He said raising his eyebrows at her. "Hailey, if he hurts you, I don't care that he's my brother, I'll castrate the asshole. Now take a shower. You smell pretty funky." He said as he got up to leave the room.

"That's what I was planning on doing before you cornered me."

"Smart ass." He smiled as he left the room.

* * *

><p>"You two sort things out?" Jax asked him as he emerged from his dorm and headed to the bar.<p>

"Yeah. Where's Hap?"

"Ope." Jax warned. "We don't need any extra shit today man."

"Relax. I just want a word with him."

"He's outside with some of the guys." The blond man sighed watching his best friend head out the door.

"Well who woulda thought you'd be the one sink your junk in Hailey?" Opie heard Tig remark as he stepped outside into the morning air.

"Pay up bruthas!" Chibs said loudly to the others around him. "I tol' ya there was sumthin' goin' on!" he continued as Kozik and Bobby pulled their wallets from their pockets. "There was something goin' on between ya's before Belfast wasn't there Hap?"

The Tacoma Killer didn't answer the Scotsman and just let his slight half smile do the talking.

"I'll bet she's a little minx between the sheets. Am I right?" Kozik asked handing a $50 across to Chibs.

"Yeah, she's something." Happy answered as he looked across to see Opie standing in the doorway.

"A word brother?" The often gentle giant asked. He saw Kozik grimace as he realized he had heard his remark.

"Sure." Happy answered.

"C'mon fellas lets go see what grub is up." Chibs said leading the way inside to leave the two feuding brothers to sort things out.

"They had bets goin' on you two?" Opie asked first up.

"Yeah. Hailey caught wind of it while we were in Belfast."

Opie sighed. "I shoulda fuckin' seen this coming Hap." Opie said as he sat on the table.

"For what it's worth I care about 'er Ope." Happy said taking a seat on the bench of the table opposite him.

"I'd hope so since you're fuckin' her." Opie responded and was then quiet for some time before saying, "Shit Hap. My sister?"

"I guess it's been developing for a while now." Happy answered.

"Sorry I flew off at you." Opie said eyeing the dried blood on the other man's lip. "I guess I knew something was going on I just didn't expect to be confronted with it this morning of all days. You know?"

"Yeah. I get it Ope."

"Hailey's her own person Hap and I've realized I can't tell her what to do but it doesn't mean I have to like it. You and her? I can see how it happened. Piney and her mother started out exactly the same way."

"So I've heard."

"How long's it been goin' on?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"Yeah she did. I wanna hear it from you."

"Out at the diner I kissed her. It's been escalating from there. Last night was the first time we had sex."

"You serious about her? You're not just hitting her up for a good time?"

"She probably told you that neither of us knows what this is yet but I want her to be here when I get out. Like I said I care about her Ope. Enough that I don't want to see her hurt anymore."

Opie gave him a questioning look.

"She'd kill me for telling you this but that shithead she used to date knocked her round pretty bad."

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"She hates making you worry Ope. That's probably why she waited so long to tell you about me and her."

"What sorta shit did he do to her?"

"She's begged me not tell you a lot of things Ope. I'm not about to break her trust now."

"I tasked you to watch her Hap. Why'd you let 'im hurt her?"

"There wasn't much I could do when she wouldn't stay away from 'im. All I could do was warn her against 'im like the rest of you."

"Yeah I spose. What sorta things did she beg you not to tell me? "

"There were a few times when I helped her out when he took things too far. She wouldn't want me to tell you. You wanna know what that asshole did to her it's gonna have to come from her."

"I guess she's safer bein' with you than she ever was with him eh?"

"Yeah." Happy nodded.

Opie sighed. "You know if you ever hurt her I'll fuckin' castrate you Hap."

"I'm not gonna hurt her Ope."

"She knows what's going down today?"

"Some of it. I didn't give her details. The less she knows the better."

"I'm glad that's something we agree on."

"We good Ope?"

"Yeah. We're good brother."

The two men hugged, slapping each other on the back before heading back inside.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry to keep you all hanging like that! So Opie wasn't really too hard on them was he? I think if Hailey hadn't stepped in and broken things up between them things would have been very different. Opie might be very overprotective of his sister but he still respects her so by her speaking to him first she was able to make him see reason that he probably wouldn't have had if his initial confrontation had been with Happy.**

**Anyways this update has come sooner than I thought it would. This is the first time since my last update that my crappy little laptop has co-operated! It's internet drops out regularly so I'm taking advantage of a good spell. My amazing hubby is buying me a new one as an early birthday present this weekend so my next update probably won't be until early next week.**

**Thanks for all your reviews/follows/faves. I really love reading them and hearing your thoughts on this story and where it's headed. :-)**


	19. Chapter 19

Happy spied Hailey across the clubroom talking to Jax and Tara, Abel in her arms. He saw her look of relief upon seeing both he and Opie walk in together each in one piece and not sporting any more bruising or split lips. She passed Abel back to Tara before crossing the room towards the two men.

"Are you both okay with this?" She asked hesitantly. Opie looked across at Happy before he answered his sister.

"Yeah, we're good Hailey. Remember what I said though okay? Be sure you know what you're doing." He said before going off to find Lyla.

Tig walked by the bar and slapped Happy on the back on his way past and threw a wink Hailey's way as Happy wrapped his arms about Hailey's waist pulling her close to him. "That was some way to make an announcement Princess." He said looking down at her.

"Not really my intention for it all to come out like that."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Really! Come on let's eat." She said eyeing the platters of food spread right across the bar. She had suddenly realized how ravenous she was.

"Worked up an appetite hey?" He smirked. She cast him her devilish grin before grabbing his hand and leading him across to the bar to fill a plate for herself.

Abel was home and for now everyone was happy and all was as it should be. Tara and Jax sat happily together in a corner Abel in Jax's arms as Tara readjusted his little blue reaper hat Clay had just returned to him. Opie was positively glowing with Lyla next to him and the pair looked completely smitten with one another. Hailey observed smiles on everyone's faces as she looked around the packed clubroom, even on Happy's face as she looked back to find him staring at her completely unabashed, a bigger smile on his face than she'd ever seen. She felt relieved that they no longer needed to hide their developing relationship.

"So I thought perhaps I might take you up on your offer and start moving my stuff over to your house this morning." She said.

"It wasn't an offer Princess. It was more of an order." He said taking a set of keys from his pocket and placing them in her hand. "I don't want you living outta the clubhouse while I'm not here."

She smiled. "Thanks Hap." She answered quietly.

"You prolly noticed last night that the lock on the front door is broken. I haven't got around to fixin' it."

"Is that why you went skulking 'round the back like some criminal?"

"Yeah," he smirked. "I'll get a prospect to fix it."

She caught Tig's amused smile as he looked on at the pair of them and their exchange before Opie spoke up from nearby and made an announcement to the room.

"Everybody Lyla has something she'd like to say."

"We're getting married." Lyla declared holding up her hand so all could see the shiny ring on her finger. Hailey was the first to her, pulling her into a big embrace. "Congratulations, Ly! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks Hailey. Seems you made your own announcement this morning too?"

"Ha! There'll be no wedding bells there honey. Hap's not the marrying type."

"You're probably right. I saw him give you his keys though sweetie. He means to look after you."

"Thanks Lyla. Congratulations again honey. I'm gonna find Ope." She said looking around for her brother who had been swept across the room in a plethora of congratulatory embraces. She spotted him over the other side of the room with Jax who had him in a playful headlock and made her way over to them.

"Congrats big bro." She said as Jax released him. He placed his arm around his sister's shoulders.

"Thanks Lil Sis." He said as she shrugged his arm off to hug him properly.

"Sorry. I probly stole your thunder this morning." She said pulling away from him.

"No worries Hailz. Sorry I reacted the way I did. I just worry about you."

"Yeah maybe a little too much." She smiled.

"You're my sister Hailey. I'll always worry about you."

"So you obviously figured out where Lyla fits in your life?" Hailey asked changing the subject.

"Yeah. She makes me happy Hailz. Thanks for making me realize that."

"No worries Ope."

"I've been watching you and Hap together. I can see you're happy too."

"Yeah I am."

"Listen I'm glad for it kiddo but just know though that the next year for you is gonna be real hard."

"Yeah I know." Hailey sighed as she looked across the room and met Happy's gaze.

* * *

><p>Hailey remained behind to help clean up as the celebrations began to disperse. She was clearing the last of the dishes to take into the kitchen when she felt his hands travel down her sides turning her to putty in his hands.<p>

"It all starts soon Princess." He murmured in her ear. She turned in his embrace to face him and found his eyes dark and menacing. She knew the day had the potential to turn deadly and she knew his eyes reflected that.

"Man your eyes are scary right now." She said.

"You know what I am Princess."

"Yeah I do." She raised herself up to kiss his lips. "I think that's part of what makes me so hot for you."

His eyes softened as he returned her kiss. "You like 'em bad eh?"

"Real bad." She flirted.

"Listen Princess. I don't know if Opie has said anything to you yet but I told him about how much Joel used to hurt you."

"What? I asked you not to Hap!"

"I'm sorry Princess. I had to. I only told him that there were things he did to you that you didn't want him to know about. I didn't tell him what they were."

"Fuck Hap. Now he's gonna ask me about it."

"You don't have to tell him anything you don't want to Princess, but it might help him to understand us."

"Yeah I guess."

"Listen we're heading out soon, okay babe?" He said pulling away from her kiss. He felt her grip on his shoulders tighten. He could tell she was growing anxious about the way she knew this day would end. He took her hands from his shoulders and held them in front of him. "Head over to my place. I'll be back here later okay?"

"It's not goodbye yet?"

"Nah, not yet Princess."

"Okay I'm gonna head out. I'll take Lyla with me. Can you let Opie know?"

"Sure babe." He said placing a kiss against the top of her head, before heading outside to see where his help was needed.

* * *

><p>"You know I never knew Happy had a place here in Charming." Lyla said as she and Hailey pulled into the driveway of Happy's house.<p>

"Me either till last night." Hailey answered a slight mischievous smile on her face. Lyla saw it and returned an equally mischievous smile. "You know you're gonna have to give me details of your escapades last night? I'll bet Happy is positively wicked in bed."

"Oh you have no idea Lyla." Hailey answered as she placed the key in the lock.

"You forget what industry I work in honey. I can imagine he's into some pretty kinky shit."

"Nah not really but my god he's huge and he knows how to use it!" Hailey said smiling reminiscently.

Lyla laughed. "I'll bet. You know all the crow eaters are real dirty on you right?"

"Ha ha. Really?" Hailey answered as she cast her eyes about the lounge room in the daylight.

'Yeah. He and Tig are certainly their favorites." She said also casting her eyes around the room. "Seems his a bit of a neat freak too."

"Yeah. I kinda get that impression." Hailey responded as she saw that everything had its place.

She took her bag towards the bedroom, placed it on the floor next to the bed and proceeded to strip down the sheets. "I don't care how clean and neat he appears, these sheets are getting changed before I'm gonna sleep in his bed." She declared.

Lyla howled with laughter. "Oh don't worry. I hear you sister."

Hailey smiled. "I guess we will be sisters soon hey?"

"Yeah we will." Lyla smiled back.

"I'm glad you and Ope are so happy. You've been really good for him Ly."

"Thanks Hailey. I really love him and it means a lot to have you and your dad's blessing."

"Do you know when the wedding'll be yet?" She called from the hallway as she opened what she assumed to be the linen closet. "Holy hell." She murmured to herself when she saw how neatly everything was stacked as she pulled out a clean set of black sheets. _Of course their all black. I might have to do something about that. _She thought to herself.

"Not really. We'll wait until everyone's out I spose." Lyla answered as Hailey returned to the bedroom. "So being totally the big sister and asking questions I know Ope probably doesn't want to ask …"

"Yeah?" Hailey questioned when Lyla paused.

"You and Hap used protection right?"

"Of course Ly. I don't want any little people!"

"Good coz accidents happen all too easily hon."

"You and Ope gonna have more kids?"

"I don't know maybe."

"Lyla what's up?" Hailey asked as she saw a sad look suddenly come across Lyla's face.

"Can I tell you something Hailey? And promise you won't tell Opie?"

"Sure honey."

"Last week just after they'd all left for Belfast I did something I kinda wish I'd spoken to Ope about."

"And what was that?" Hailey pressed.

"I found out I was pregnant and I panicked. I asked Tara to set me up an appointment to take care of it."

"You got an abortion?"

Lyla nodded looking incredibly ashamed. "The timing was just all wrong Hailey."

"It's okay Ly. I get it. I'd probably have done the same thing but aren't you on birth control?"

She shook her head, no. "I went off it when I started doing just girl on girl stuff."

"Then tell Ope to wrap his junk."

"He doesn't feel he needs to. I think he wants to knock me up so I'll quit porn."

"Then go back on birth control and tell him you want be a good girl and wait until you're married to have a baby. That'll at least buy you some time and maybe by then you might be ready."

"Thanks for not judging me Hailey."

"Of course Ly. It's your choice to make honey."

Lyla gave her a small smile back.

"You wanna help me put fresh sheets on this massive bed?" She asked as she moved toward the king size bed with the sheets still in her hand.

"Imagine the fun you could have in this bed Hailey." Lyla smiled wickedly.

"I know." Hailey mirrored her smile. "It's gonna be a while before I get to make it a reality though." She sighed.

"You know you could write him some totally raunchy letters while he's in there."

"Yeah I spose I could." Hailey remarked as she sat down on the bed they had now finished making. Lyla sat also and they continued chatting away.

Hailey wasn't sure how long they'd been there when her cell began to buzz in her pocket. She saw it was Happy as she pulled it out.

_Hey babe_

_You and Lyla need to come back to the lot_

_Lockdown?_

_Just a precaution Princess_

_Alright. Do we need to wait for a tail?_

_Nah you'll be right. Just come straight here._

He hung up.

"Ever the conversationalist." Hailey commented as she snapped her phone shut. "We need to get back. Lockdown." She said to Lyla.

"Really? Guess Ope wasn't kidding when he said today would be bad."

"Apparently it's just precaution Hap said. C'mon let's go." She said stuffing her phone back in her pocket and grabbing her keys from where she'd dropped them.

* * *

><p>Hailey and Lyla pulled up in the lot to find some of the guys milling about it nearby their bikes. Gemma and Tara stood nearby along with Ally Lowan. Hailey knew this was it as she walked across to Happy where he stood next to his bike.<p>

"This is it isn't it?" She asked as she approached him placing her hands upon his chest.

"Yeah Princess. Not long now." He placed his arms around her and chipped her chin up to place a kiss upon her lips. He turned her in his arms so she was facing the lot as Jax rode back in, fed cars and a prison transportation van behind him.

"Whatever happens in the next few minutes Princess? Just go with it okay?" he whispered against her ear.

She looked questioningly up at him. "Trust me baby." He murmured in response as Agent Stahl got out of her car and walked across the lot, her usual air of arrogance about her.

"Where's Jimmy O?" she asked as she approached the guys grouped nearby to where Happy and Hailey stood. Hailey noticed a questioning glare between Clay and Jax and she felt butterflies rise up from her stomach to her throat at that look.

"Get 'im." Clay gave the order and Tig and Juice rolled up the garage doors releasing Jimmy O from the trunk of Tara's caddy. Happy placed his arm around Hailey's waist and led her forward to where the others stood. She watched as Jimmy was led away to one of the waiting fed cars.

"How did you know he was here?" Clay asked.

She felt Happy tense beside her and lower his sunglasses down his nose before placing them in his cut.

"Because your VP made a deal."

"What? You made a deal for Jimmy?" Tig cried launching at Jax. A scuffle ensued between the patches as Hailey looked on fear and worry rising in her. If Jax had made a deal that made him a rat. Rats got killed. She looked back at Happy, whose face held an unmistakable glare directed at Jax.

"He did it cos he had to." Gemma tried to interject tears welling in her eyes. Bobby pushed her aside as the feds began to round up the patches, taking them into custody.

Hailey grabbed at Happy's arm as he was pulled from her side. "Hap what is this?" she asked. He saw the fear and worry all over her face. He pulled her to him by her hips and kissed her hard. "Don't worry Princess." He murmured, gripping her hand briefly before he was led away. She walked across to Lyla who placed her free arm around her waist. The other was around Gemma. Together they stood Gemma freely sobbing and tears welling in Hailey's eyes as she watched them getting put one by one into the van. Happy was first after Jax. They all looked as if they wanted to kill Jax.

Stahl turned to Ally Lowan and handed her the folders in her hand. "Your clients will be out in three years. Fourteen months if they don't kill anyone." She said with her usual arrogance.

As the van pulled out of the lot, Hailey's gaze followed it out. She stood next to Lyla growing increasingly anxious, wondering what had just gone down, what they were going to do to Jax, and why in the world she had come back to Charming.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for all your reviews on the last chapter. I'm glad you think things went okay and that you're still loving it especially to the point of fan girl moments in public! (In fact if I'm perfectly honest I've had a few of those too when I read some of your reviews when I'm out in public!) **

**I have my new pretty pink laptop thanks to my hubby but it may be a while before my next update up as school holidays start here in Australia at the end of this week SO for two weeks I'll have three kids and the hubby home so may not be able to get much up in that time. I might manage to get in a couple of early mornings before they are all up but being the age of my children they're up at the crack of dawn so we'll see! And I can never concentrate writing with all the noise they make!**

**SO anyways my lovely readers please continue to enjoy and review and hopefully my next update won't be too far away!**


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